South Korea Boosts AI Infrastructure to Become Global Tech Hub

South Korea Launches Major AI Infrastructure Initiative

South Korea is making a massive push to become a global AI leader with new national infrastructure investments. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced plans to secure 18,000 high-performance GPUs and implement tax incentives to accelerate private sector participation in AI development.

Building the AI Foundation

The initiative, unveiled on February 20, 2025, aims to position Korea as a top-tier tech hub. This builds on President Yoon Suk Yeol's AI Semiconductor Initiative announced last April, which committed 9.4 trillion won ($7B) to AI development through 2027. A special 1.4 trillion won fund will support innovative AI semiconductor startups.

National AI Committee Takes Charge

Overseeing this transformation is the National Artificial Intelligence Committee launched in September 2024. President Yoon described it as "the focal point of public-private cooperation that brings together core capabilities across the nation." The committee is upgrading regulations to balance innovation with copyright and privacy protections.

Global Tech Race Heats Up

Korea's move comes amid intense AI competition worldwide. The US recently announced $500B in private AI infrastructure funding, while China and EU nations are making similar investments. Korea's strategy focuses on creating specialized infrastructure to attract international AI talent and companies.

Experts say the GPU acquisition is crucial for training advanced AI models, while the regulatory changes will help startups commercialize innovations faster. If successful, this could make Korea the preferred Asian base for next-gen AI development.