Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Meets with Key Business Leaders During Seoul Visit

Microsoft (MS) CEO Satya Nadella has arrived in South Korea for the first time in two years to introduce his vision for AI-driven innovation. During his visit, he will meet with the CEOs of major South Korean corporations, including LG Electronics and KT, as well as startup leaders, to explore potential business collaborations and promote the development of an “AI ecosystem” with South Korea.

On March 26, MS will host the “MS AI Tour in Seoul” at Yangjae aT Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, under the theme “AI for Everyone.” The event will feature around 30 sessions, where MS will showcase its latest innovations, including real-world applications of AI agents and applications built on its cloud service, Azure, while also sharing global industry trends

Nadella will deliver a keynote speech titled “Leading Change in the Era of AI Innovation.” Other keynote speakers include Thomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub, and Cho Won-woo, CEO of Microsoft Korea, who will discuss AI-driven transformation.

This marks Nadella’s first visit to South Korea in approximately two years and four months since November 2022. During his trip, he will hold a series of meetings with key South Korean business leaders to discuss expanding cooperation in AI-related fields.

Arriving in Seoul on March 25, Nadella first met with Amorepacific Chairman Suh Kyung-bae at an undisclosed location. Joined by Amorepacific CEO Kim Seung-hwan and other executives, they discussed the integration of AI technologies into the beauty industry. Later, Nadella visited KT’s headquarters in Gwanghwamun, where he met with KT CEO Kim Young-seop and Chung Ki-sun, senior vice chairman of HD Hyundai. During the meeting, Kim and Nadella exchanged views on advancing a Korea-specific AI model and other joint projects with MS, which has established an AI collaboration framework with KT. Last year, KT and MS signed a strategic partnership to invest a total of 2.4 trillion won (approximately $1.64 billion) over five years in public sector expansion, including the Secure Public Cloud initiative.

Nadella also met with Choi Yong-ho, CEO of Galaxy Corp., the agency representing K-pop artist G-Dragon, to explore potential AI collaborations in the entertainment and technology sectors.

On March 26, during the MS AI Tour, Nadella will continue engaging with a broad range of business leaders. Before delivering his keynote speech at 11:45 a.m., he will meet with CEOs from South Korean AI startups, including Wrtn Technologies, Upstage, Liner, and Mathpresso, to discuss AI collaboration opportunities. Following the event, Nadella will also hold meetings with LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan and Korea Development Bank Chairman Kang Seok-hun. Ahead of his meeting with Nadella, Cho told reporters, “We will discuss strategies to ensure that the AI agents we are jointly developing deliver tangible business outcomes.”