NVIDIA, Rebellions, SK Telecom Collaborate on Sovereign AI with NVLink Fusion

NVIDIA, Rebellions, and SK Telecom have announced a strategic collaboration to advance Korea's sovereign AI infrastructure. The partnership will leverage NVIDIA NVLink Fusion, Rebellions' Korean-designed AI processors, and SK Telecom's expertise in AI data centers and proprietary models. The initiative is supported by Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and aims to integrate domestic semiconductor innovation with scalable AI infrastructure.

Integrating Korean AI Processors with NVIDIA NVLink Fusion

Rebellions plans to adopt NVIDIA NVLink Fusion to connect its next-generation Rebel R200 neural processing units (NPUs) to NVIDIA's open infrastructure platform. The R200 NPUs are designed for low-latency and energy-efficient inference, optimized for advanced models such as multitrillion-parameter mixture-of-experts models. The NVIDIA MGX rack architecture will support the development of rack-scale systems, enabling high-speed interconnectivity and access to NVIDIA's established supply chain of original design manufacturers and component suppliers.

SK Telecom's Role in Sovereign AI Deployment

SK Telecom will deploy the integrated systems in its AI data center, utilizing its operational expertise and proprietary foundation models, including A.X K2. The company plans to implement a disaggregated inference approach, assigning different stages of AI response generation to the most suitable processor architecture. For example, NVIDIA GPUs will handle prefill tasks, while Rebellions NPUs will focus on decoding, improving throughput and power efficiency. This infrastructure will also support public-facing AI services under Korea's "AI for All" initiative.

Government Support for Sovereign AI

The collaboration is backed by MSIT, which aims to strengthen Korea's position in the global AI ecosystem. "This collaboration with NVIDIA marks a significant step forward, as it enables Korean-developed NPUs to enter the computing infrastructure market alongside NVIDIA," said Bae Kyung-hoon, Korea's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT. The government plans to actively support the initiative to deliver tangible results and further cooperation with NVIDIA in areas such as physical AI and GPU supply security.

Advancing Full-Stack AI Capabilities

Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, emphasized the significance of sovereign AI, stating, "Sovereign AI gives nations the power to turn their language, culture, and expertise into intelligence." Sunghyun Park, CEO of Rebellions, highlighted the partnership's potential to establish Korean technology as a global AI leader, while SK Telecom CEO Jung Jai-hun noted the collaboration's role in validating next-generation sovereign AI infrastructure.

By combining NVIDIA's global systems technology with Korean-designed AI semiconductors and SK Telecom's operational capabilities, the partnership aims to create a robust foundation for Korea's AI ecosystem and its next industrial revolution.