- The National AI Committee unveils a comprehensive, whole-of-government strategy to enhance Korea's AI competitiveness

▶ (Computing Infrastructure) Secure 18,000 high-performance GPUs, introduce tax incentives to spur private investment, and improve regulatory frameworks for facility locations and power supply ▶ (AI Models) Establish elite "National AI Teams" and provide extensive support ― including data, GPUs, and research funding ― to develop world-class large language models (LLMs) ▶ (AI Talent) Cultivate top-tier AI professionals and attract global experts through initiatives such as the Global AI Challenge and AI Frontier Lab ▶ (Flagship Projects) Accelerate national AI-driven transformation by leveraging domestically developed AI models created by Korean AI talent

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The Ministry of Science and ICT (“MSIT”; Minister Yoo Sang-Im) announced that the third National AI Committee meeting was convened on the morning of February 20 (Thursday) under the chairmanship of Acting President and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok. Held in the National AI Committee's conference room, the meeting introduced a strategy jointly developed by relevant ministries to enhance national AI capabilities by expanding AI computing infrastructure.

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	[ Overview of the Third National AI Committee Meeting ]
∎ (Date/Time) Thursday, February 20, 2025, 10:00-11:30   ∎ (Venue) National AI Committee Conference Room   ∎ (Attendees) Government (10 participants) - Acting President (Chair), relevant ministers   Private sector (30 participants) - Taejae University President Yeom Jae-ho (Vice Chair), AI experts

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The government initially aimed to establish a Comprehensive Strategy for AI Computing Infrastructure by the first quarter of 2025, in line with the 2025 Economic Policy Direction. However, in response to the recent DeepSeek breakthrough, a more advanced and comprehensive approach was developed―the Plan to Strengthen National AI Capabilities through AI Computing Infrastructure Expansion. This newly announced plan builds upon key initiatives discussed during the third Special Committee Meeting on AI Computing Infrastructure (Feb. 17, Monday) and Party-Government Council on Enhancing AI Competitiveness (Feb. 18, Tuesday).

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Below are key highlights of the Whole-of-Government Plan to Strengthen National AI Capabilities through AI Computing Infrastructure Expansion.

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《 Background 》

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As the global race for AI leadership accelerates, major economies― including the U.S., the EU, and France― have announced large-scale investment initiatives, attracting* private capital amounting to hundreds of trillions of Korean won. Meanwhile, China‘s DeepSeek has recently achieved a breakthrough by developing a low-cost, high-performance AI model through efficient algorithms, introducing a new paradigm that challenges the existing dominance of big tech firms in the AI sector.

* ▴U.S.: The Stargate Project is investing approximately KRW 730 trillion to build AI data centers and power infrastructure
▴EU: The AI Giga Factory Project has earmarked approximately KRW 300 trillion for AI-related investments
▴France: Allocating KRW 163 trillion to AI data centers and supporting infrastructure

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《 Policy Direction 》

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To leverage the momentum created by the DeepSeek breakthrough and strengthen Korea’s AI competitiveness, the government will rapidly expand AI computing infrastructure, foster top-tier AI talent, and support the development of world-class AI models. Building on these efforts, sector-specific flagship initiatives will be implemented to create an early market for domestic AI services and accelerate Korea's AI-driven transition. To achieve these goals, the plan outlines three key strategies and six core initiatives.

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Strategies		Key initiatives
Expand AI computing infrastructure		１ Launch the Master Plan on National AI Computing Infrastructure ２ Facilitate private investment in AI computing infrastructure ３ Support the growth of domestic AI chip industry
Develop next-generation AI models		１ Support the development of innovative AI algorithms ２ Advance AI talent development systems
Accelerate AI adoption		１ Implement sector-specific flagship initiatives

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《 Implementation Plan 》

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Strategy 1. Expand AI computing infrastructure

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The government will implement a master plan composed of three phases―immediate, short-term, and mid-to-long-term― to systematically expand AI computing infrastructure. To address urgent AI computing demands on the ground, the government will leverage existing GPU resources in Korea, including the Gwangju AI Data Center* and private internet-based cloud platforms**.

* Among 880 units of H100 GPUs, the government has secured 416 units, which are currently being utilized to support AI technology development across industry, academia, and research institutes.
** Expand leasing of private resources, including high-performance computing support (KRW 19.8 billion in 2025) and computing support for AI research (additional KRW 9 billion in 2025)

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By the first half of 2026, the government aims to secure its advanced GPU resources to 18,000 units. Of these, 10,000 units will be secured within the year through public-private collaboration centered around the National AI Computing Center, while the remaining 8,000 units will be acquired through the construction of the country’s sixth supercomputer.

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Efforts will also be made to enhance the competitiveness of low-power, high-performance domestic AI chips. By 2030, the proportion of domestic AI chips within the National AI Computing Center will be increased to 50%.

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Second, to facilitate private investment in AI computing infrastructure, the government will also enhance institutional support in areas such as tax incentives, electricity supply, and site allocation. AI will be designated as a national strategic technology under the Act on Restriction on Special Cases Concerning Taxation, enabling expanded tax benefits for advanced AI research and talent development (R&D, etc.): preferential tax deduction rate of 30-50%; and comprehensive AI integration investment (infrastructure, etc.): preferential tax deduction rate of 15-35%.

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When establishing AI data centers outside the Seoul metropolitan area, the government will consider preferential support measures in Power System Impact Assessments, including awarding additional points in policy evaluation criteria. Regulatory improvements will be pursued in areas such as power supply, site selection, and infrastructure. To encourage diversification in site selection, potential locations will include harbor hinterland complexes and airport support facilities, and the government intends to apply only the minimum legal requirements for mandatory installations, such as elevators and artworks.

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Third, the government will actively support the growth of domestically developed AI chips. It aims to establish an internationally competitive open hardware-software technology ecosystem based on domestic AI chip technology, ensuring optimal operation of large-scale, high-performance systems. This initiative will not only drive substantial demand creation but also facilitate technology demonstration and commercialization.

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Strategy 2. Develop next-generation AI models

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First, leveraging the expansion of infrastructure, including the National AI Computing Center, the government will actively work to enhance the competitiveness of domestic AI models. As part of this effort, a new flagship initiative, tentatively named the “World‘s Best LLM (WBL)” project, will be launched. Under this initiative, the government will select elite AI teams and provide full-scale support, including essential resources such as data and GPUs, to develop a world-class large language model (LLM) in the near future.

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Additionally, the government will host the “Global AI Challenge,” a large-scale competition where top domestic and international AI experts collaborate in teams to tackle complex AI challenges. This event will bring together leading AI researchers and incorporate public evaluations to attract top-tier talent. Winners will receive exceptional incentives, such as startup support or direct recruitment into elite WBL project teams.

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Furthermore, in the long term, the government plans to invest KRW 1 trillion in technology development to secure key foundational technologies necessary for achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), going beyond generative AI (currently undergoing a preliminary feasibility study).

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Second, the government will enhance talent development systems to train quality professionals in AI. Following the launch of the Global AI Frontier Lab in New York last year, the government plans to expand such institutions beyond the Anglosphere to Europe and other regions, fostering collaborative research with leading international experts. A new program will also be introduced to support innovative and pioneering research led by emerging AI researchers in Korea.

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To train top-tier talent equipped with skills that match industry demands, the government will expand the operation of Innovation Academy, which provides hands-on, project-based training without traditional lectures, textbooks, or instructors. Moreover, AI Transformation (AX) Graduate Schools* will be established through industry-university collaboration to further accelerate AI-driven transformation.

* Joint establishment by companies and universities to operate AI Plus Everything (AI+X) education programs, enabling collaboration through joint faculty appointments for corporate researchers.

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Korea will also provide substantial support for attracting top global AI talent. In connection with the World’s Best Large-scale Language Model (WBL) Project, it plans to actively consider exceptional support measures, including salaries, research funding, and living expenses, for prominent international AI experts recruited by flagship project teams to meet industry demands.​

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Strategy 3. Acceleration of AI Transition

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Using homegrown AI computing infrastructure, we will accelerate the national AI transition with AI models developed by domestic AI talent. To create an initial market for excellent domestic AI models, we will promote an inter-ministerial collaboration project that applies generative AI trained with specialized domestic datasets to various fields such as health (customized treatment and health management), law (providing legal information to the public), and public administration (streamlining administrative work).

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[ Main Tasks in Each Field]

Education	AI-enabled digital textbooks
Health	Customized treatment and health management services
Content & Culture	AI services assisting with content creation & video editing
Law	AI services providing legal information to the public, assisting with writing legal documents, and supporting experts
Academic	AI services assisting with academic activities
Disaster Management & Safety	Improve the usability of AI CCTV and domestically manufactured AI semiconductors
Public Services	Jointly-operated public AI services

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Minister Yoo said, “The race for AI dominance is evolving into a competition between not just businesses but also countries. Recognizing that a one-year delay in our response would set us back three years in competitiveness, we will drive full-scale and rapid investment in building AI computing infrastructure and nurturing core talent.“

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He continued, “We will harness the strengths we already possess and speedily address what we are missing to improve the national AI capabilities to become one of the Top three AI nations.”

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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.

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Please refer to the attached PDF.