Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited South Korea as part of his Asian tour, which was his first visit to the country in approximately a decade. During his visit, Zuckerberg engaged in discussions with top executives from LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics, focusing on collaboration opportunities in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (XR).
Zuckerberg’s meeting with LG Electronics CEO William Cho and Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong in Seoul centered around exploring avenues for enhanced cooperation in AI and XR technologies.
During his meeting with LG Electronics CEO William Cho, Zuckerberg explored the potential expansion of collaborative efforts in the extended reality (XR) sector, as disclosed by the electronics manufacturer. Cho mentioned to the local press that a jointly developed XR device by Meta and LG could potentially enter the market as early as 2025 following their discussions.
Zuckerberg arrived in South Korea on Tuesday for a three-day visit. As part of his itinerary, he engaged in a luncheon with Cho and other senior officials from LG Electronics in Seoul, as reported by Yonhap news agency. Later in the day, Zuckerberg met with Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-Yong for dinner, where they explored potential collaborations in AI memory chips and XR businesses, according to insider sources.
Zuckerberg and Cho convened at the LG Twin Towers in western Seoul to delve into discussions aimed at strengthening strategic alliances in the development of an advanced XR device, along with services, content, and platforms, as confirmed by LG Electronics. The meeting also saw the presence of Kwon Bong-seok, the chief operating officer of the LG holding company, hinting at a potential expansion of the partnership to other LG entities.
Meanwhile, Samsung has established a dedicated unit in Silicon Valley for research and development in artificial general intelligence (AGI). The recent meeting between Cho and Zuckerberg showed their shared interest in advancing XR technologies.
During the meeting, Cho experienced Meta’s Quest 3 headset and Ray-Ban smart glasses, initiating discussions on potential collaboration in on-device AI technology leveraging Meta’s expansive language model.
Reports from local sources last September suggested that the two companies had partnered for a joint XR device project, although LG Electronics refrained from confirming the details at that time.
At the CES 2024 event held last month, Cho reiterated LG’s dedication to fostering partnerships to expand its footprint in the XR market. Meanwhile, Meta recently introduced its Quest 3 virtual reality headset, which competes with Apple’s latest Vision Pro headset, which was launched globally just last month.
In the evening, Zuckerberg convened with Samsung Electronics’ chief Lee at Seungji Won in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, likely to explore potential collaboration in AI chip development. Seungjiwon, historically utilized as the office of the late Lee Kun Hee, father of the current executive chairman, served as the backdrop for the meeting. This rendezvous marks their latest interaction, following official meetings held in 2013 and 2014.
Additionally, Zuckerberg engaged in a closed-door session with representatives from several local AI and XR startups at Meta Korea’s office in southern Seoul. Meanwhile, a meeting with President Yoon Suk Yeol is scheduled for Thursday, signaling Zuckerberg’s ongoing diplomatic engagement during his visit to South Korea.
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