Ted Hisokawa
Jun 07, 2026 23:26
Naver partners with NVIDIA to scale AI infrastructure to gigawatt level, advancing HyperCLOVA X and sovereign AI initiatives.
Naver Corp. (KRX: 035420) is doubling down on its AI ambitions, announcing a major expansion of its infrastructure with NVIDIA. The plan involves scaling its AI facilities from 55 megawatts to gigawatt levels using NVIDIA’s DSX platform, enabling Naver to build “AI factories” at an unprecedented scale. These facilities will power Naver’s proprietary models, including the next-generation HyperCLOVA X, and support sovereign AI initiatives in South Korea and beyond.
The collaboration was unveiled on June 7, 2026, and follows a series of strategic moves by Naver to position itself as a leader in Asia’s AI ecosystem. “Useful AI has arrived, and demand for AI factories is extraordinary,” said NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. “With NVIDIA DSX, Naver is scaling sovereign intelligence infrastructure for enterprises, governments, and industries.”
The core of the initiative lies in Naver’s GAK Sejong data center, a hyperscale facility in Sejong, South Korea. Designed for high-density NVIDIA accelerated computing, it combines energy-efficient operations with advanced automation to meet surging AI demand. The center will serve as the backbone for Naver’s AI-driven services, including enterprise cloud solutions and real-world applications like autonomous agents and urban modeling.
Shares of Naver closed at KRW 186,500 on June 7, up 1.92% for the day, giving the company a market capitalization of KRW 30.62 trillion. The stock has gained momentum as investors increasingly view Naver’s AI strategy as a key growth driver. Earlier this year, Naver completed South Korea’s largest AI cluster, integrating 4,000 NVIDIA B200 GPUs, a move that bolstered its national AI competitiveness.
Naver’s partnership with NVIDIA builds on an already robust collaboration. On June 2, 2026, Naver Cloud and NVIDIA formally announced the “AI factory” initiative at the NVIDIA Cloud Partners Summit. This expands their relationship from GPU supply to full-stack infrastructure development, including energy optimization, industrial applications, and sovereign AI capabilities.
The South Korean government has also thrown its weight behind Naver’s efforts. In April 2026, the National Growth Fund approved a KRW 400 billion low-interest loan to support the expansion of the GAK Sejong data center. This funding underscores the strategic importance of Naver’s AI infrastructure to the country’s broader digital sovereignty goals.
One of the standout features of this expansion is Naver’s focus on developing localized AI models. The HyperCLOVA X, a sovereign Korean-language model, is being fine-tuned with NVIDIA’s Nemotron 3 Ultra open model. This ensures that the model remains culturally fluent while meeting the specific needs of Korean enterprises and global customers. Additionally, Naver is leveraging NVIDIA Cosmos technology to develop the Seoul World Model, which uses spatial modeling to create next-gen urban simulations.
Looking ahead, Naver plans to launch an AI Agent Platform in the second half of 2026, powered by NVIDIA’s NemoClaw blueprints. This platform will further integrate AI into enterprises, government services, and industrial sectors. By combining its hyperscale infrastructure with cutting-edge AI tools, Naver aims to secure a leadership position in the increasingly competitive global AI market.
For investors, the partnership with NVIDIA and the aggressive expansion of AI infrastructure highlight Naver’s commitment to long-term growth. With strong government backing and a clear focus on sovereign AI, Naver is well-positioned to capitalize on the surging demand for AI-driven solutions in Asia and beyond.
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