SEOUL, June 12 -- Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang used his first-ever appearance on a variety talk show to deliver what amounted to a love letter to South Korea, crediting the country's gamers, companies and decades-long partnerships with helping transform Nvidia into a global powerhouse.

"Our lives, our history are very close, and Korea has always been a very close part of my heart," Huang said on tvN's You Quiz on the Block, which aired on Wednesday night.

Filmed during his recent visit to Seoul, the appearance marked the first time the Nvidia founder had sat down for a variety programme anywhere in the world.

Huang traced Nvidia's ties with South Korea back some 25 years, arguing that the country's gaming culture played a critic...