Introduction to Sovereign AI Infrastructure in South Korea
At the APEC CEO Summit, NVIDIA announced its collaboration with public agencies and private companies to build sovereign AI infrastructure across South Korea. The plan includes deploying hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA GPUs across sovereign clouds and AI factories for areas like automotive, manufacturing, and telecommunications.
The Importance of AI Infrastructure
“Korea’s leadership in technology and manufacturing positions it at the heart of the AI industrial revolution — where accelerated computing infrastructure becomes as vital as power grids and broadband,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “Just as Korea’s physical factories have inspired the world with sophisticated ships, cars, chips, and electronics, the nation can now produce intelligence as a new export that will drive global transformation.” The government plans to deploy up to 50,000 new NVIDIA GPUs to support sovereign AI programs for businesses and research groups.
Building a National AI Computing Center
The first phase includes 13,000 NVIDIA Blackwell and other GPUs through providers such as NAVER Cloud, NHN Cloud, and Kakao. The expansion includes efforts to build a National AI Computing Center. Startups, researchers, and other organizations will be able to use this sovereign infrastructure to train models and build new applications. NVIDIA is also working with Samsung, SK Telecom, ETRI, KT, LGU+, and Yonsei University on AI-RAN and 6G network research.
Major Companies Build Sovereign AI Factories
Large corporations in Korea are investing in advanced AI infrastructure for chip production, network operations, and digital manufacturing tools that support the country’s sovereign computing goals. NVIDIA and Samsung plan to build a new AI factory that connects chip manufacturing with accelerated computing. The system will run more than 50,000 NVIDIA GPUs and support data-driven production methods, including predictive maintenance and process improvements across chip fabs.
SK Group Expands AI Capacity
SK Group is building an AI factory that will include more than 50,000 NVIDIA GPUs, with completion expected by late 2027. The facility will support SK subsidiaries and outside clients through GPU-as-a-service offerings that align with South Korea’s sovereign AI strategy. NVIDIA and SK are also working together on next-generation high-bandwidth memory for GPUs. SK Telecom plans to build an industrial AI cloud using NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs.
Hyundai Motor Group Plans New AI Factory
NVIDIA and Hyundai Motor Group are expanding their partnership to support autonomous driving, factory automation, and robotics. Hyundai plans to build an AI factory using NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs for integrated training, simulation, and deployment. The companies expect joint investment of about $3 billion to grow national physical AI capabilities. The plan includes an NVIDIA AI Technology Center, Hyundai’s Physical AI Application Center, and new data centers.
Growth of Sovereign AI Models
NAVER Cloud plans to deploy more than 60,000 GPUs for sovereign and physical AI work. The company will build industry-targeted models for areas such as shipbuilding and public safety. The Ministry of Science and ICT is also leading a Sovereign AI Foundation Models project using NVIDIA NeMo and open Nemotron datasets. Partners include LG AI Research, NC AI, SK Telecom, and Upstage.
Quantum and Scientific Research
KISTI plans to use NVIDIA accelerated computing in its sixth national supercomputer, HANGANG. The institute will support NVQLink, an open architecture for connecting quantum processors with GPU clusters. It will also develop scientific foundation models and explore physics-informed AI tools using NVIDIA PhysicsNeMo. NVIDIA and local partners are forming a startup alliance through the NVIDIA Inception program.
Conclusion
In conclusion, South Korea is making significant investments in sovereign AI infrastructure, with major companies like NVIDIA, Samsung, SK Group, and Hyundai Motor Group playing a crucial role. The country aims to produce intelligence as a new export that will drive global transformation. With the deployment of hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA GPUs, South Korea is poised to become a leader in the AI industrial revolution.
FAQs
Q: What is sovereign AI infrastructure?
A: Sovereign AI infrastructure refers to the development and deployment of AI systems and technologies that are controlled and owned by a country or organization, rather than relying on foreign technologies.
Q: What is the goal of South Korea’s sovereign AI initiative?
A: The goal of South Korea’s sovereign AI initiative is to produce intelligence as a new export that will drive global transformation and establish the country as a leader in the AI industrial revolution.
Q: Which companies are involved in South Korea’s sovereign AI initiative?
A: Major companies involved in South Korea’s sovereign AI initiative include NVIDIA, Samsung, SK Group, and Hyundai Motor Group.
Q: What is the role of NVIDIA in South Korea’s sovereign AI initiative?
A: NVIDIA is providing GPUs and other technologies to support the development of sovereign AI infrastructure in South Korea, including the deployment of hundreds of thousands of GPUs across sovereign clouds and AI factories.
