- The sovereign AI models developed in the first half of this year, with improved performance, have been recognized.

- So far this year, only three countries worldwide — the US, China, and Korea — have notable AI models.

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister: Bae Kyung-hoon) announced that the AI models developed during the first half of 2026 by the four elite teams joining the “Sovereign AI Foundation Model” project were all listed as “Notable AI Models” by Epoch AI, a US-based nonprofit AI research organization.

This indicator is recognized as one of the key measures of national AI competitiveness. For example, it serves as a key measure in the annual “AI Index Report” published by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (Stanford HAI). 

※ The number of notable AI models in 2025 (as of the Stanford HAI’s 2026 AI Index Report): 59 in the US, 35 in China, and 8 in Korea.

In particular, given that only three countries — the United States, China, and Korea — currently have models recognized as Notable AI Models by Epoch AI, this achievement is considered a significant milestone demonstrating that Korea has secured world-class AI competitiveness.

During the first half of 2026, the elite teams participating in the “Sovereign AI Foundation Model” project developed globally competitive sovereign AI foundation models despite having relatively limited resources and constrained conditions compared to global big tech companies, and released them as open source. This demonstrates Korea’s AI competitiveness and its capacity to build an open ecosystem.

“The sovereign AI models developed with Korea's technology are demonstrating world-class technological capabilities and showcasing the country’s real strength,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bae. “Now that we must compete with major leading countries shoulder to shoulder on a larger stage, we will spare no effort to deliver tangible results for the public.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Please refer to the attached PDF.