South Korea Targets Global AI Top Three, Deepening U.S.-Japan Cooperation and Developing Homegrown Models

The South Korean government has made becoming one of the world's top three AI powers a national policy goal as it seeks to build independent technological capabilities in a field dominated by the United States and China. Its strategy centers on developing South Korea's own AI foundation models and building large AI data centers, while using international partnerships to strengthen computing capacity, talent and the broader industry ecosystem.

South Korea has recently begun comprehensive cooperation with OpenAI and plans to deepen AI exchanges with Japan through the two countries' “shuttle diplomacy.” It is taking a gradual approach to engagement with China. Available information does not specify when the policy was announced, how much will be invested in the data centers, their computing capacity or the timetable for completion. Those details have yet to be released by the South Korean government.