South Korea is investing billions into LLM ventures to drive innovation, population growth and strategic partnerships to place it among the top three countries leading in AI-assisted technology ventures.
South Korea President Lee Jae-myung has launched an aggressive drive to propel South Korean companies onto the global stage, prioritizing tech innovation and international competitiveness.
According to recent reports, the new administration is committed to transforming South Korea into a top-tier economic powerhouse through massive investments in cutting-edge sectors, with artificial intelligence and cultural exports at the forefront.
A cornerstone of this vision is the “AI G3” initiative, which aims to position South Korea as one of the top three global AI powers.
This commitment is backed by substantial financial pledges, including a staggering KRW 100 trillion (approximately USD 73.8 billion) public-private investment fund and an additional KRW 1.8 trillion (approximately USD 1.3 billion) supplementary budget specifically for AI capabilities.
These funds will be channelled towards enhancing AI infrastructure, fostering talent, boosting research and development, and improving data ecosystems.
Key initiatives under this plan include large-scale AI investment for infrastructure and chips, targeting the acquisition of over 50,000 GPU units (including 10,000 high-end GPUs in 2025) and the rollout of AI-specific Data Centres (AIDCs) with regulatory support.
The administration also prioritizes the development of domestic Neural Processing Units (NPUs), leveraging South Korea’s strengths in chipmaking.
A significant project, the “World Best LLM Project,” aims to support the creation of an open-source foundational large language model, potentially involving major local firms like Naver and LG, underscoring ambitions for full-stack AI capabilities and technological sovereignty.
To bolster the talent pipeline, initiatives such as the “AI Pathfinder Project” will attract international researchers, alongside support for postdoctoral researchers and workforce training.
Beyond AI, the government is offering tax incentives and targeted R&D for key sectors like defence and strategic tech, while food tech and green bio innovations aim to transform agriculture. It plans to boost cultural exports to KRW 50 trillion by 2030, leveraging K-content, fashion, and cosmetics…to read more click here.