[Edaily Reporter SOYEON KIM ] Samsung Group and HyundaiMotor Group, which have helped shape South Korea’s industrial history, are strengthening their strategic alliance to secure leadership in the cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) industry. The two groups, once archrivals in the business world, are now joining forces as a “single team” across the entire spectrum of future industries—from semiconductors and batteries to robotics and AI.

According to business circles on the 9th, Samsung hosted “HMG Appreciation Day” at the SamsungElectronics Seocheon Training Center, inviting key executives from HyundaiMotor Group. This marks the first time Samsung has held a large-scale invitation-only event for a major domestic conglomerate. The event was attended by 177 people, including SamsungElectronics Vice Chairman Jeon Young-hyun and HyundaiMotor Group Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon, as well as executives, managers, and their spouses from both companies.

The collaboration between the two companies is yielding concrete business results. SamsungElectronics has agreed to supply HyundaiMotor with the “Exynos Auto V920,” a semiconductor for in-vehicle infotainment systems, while SAMSUNG SDI CO.,LTD.’s prismatic batteries will be installed in the KIA EV2 and Hyundai Ioniq 3. It is also reported that SAMSUNG SDI CO.,LTD.’s prismatic batteries will be used in the Genesis GV90, the brand’s top-of-the-line electric SUV.

The relationship between the two groups has spanned three generations. In 1985, Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul attended the 70th birthday celebration of Hyundai founder Chung Ju-yung—despite being ill at the time—and presented him with a piece of white porcelain. In 2001, Lee Kun-Hee, former chairman of Samsung, and Chung Mong-Koo, then chairman of HyundaiMotor Group, met and paved the way for business cooperation. In 2020, Chairman Jay Y. Lee and Chairman Euisun Chung discussed cooperation on next-generation electric vehicle batteries. A business sector official stated, “As we enter the AI era, boundaries between industries are breaking down and technological convergence is determining competitiveness, making cooperation between the two groups even more essential.”