South Korea Unveils $880 Billion National AI Strategy
South Korea holds a pivotal position in the global memory-chip and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply chains, with Samsung Electronics and SK hynix controlling most production capacity. Amid growing US-China competition and rising demand for AI computing power, the government has designated semiconductors, physical AI and AI data centers as three strategic pillars. Investments in manufacturing, robotics and computing infrastructure are intended to reinforce the country’s export and technology advantages.
On June 29, 2026, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung unveiled the “Tripolar Super Plan” in Seoul, coordinating 1,350 trillion won, or about $880 billion, of investment by Samsung Electronics, SK Group and other companies over the next 10 years. Of that amount, Samsung and SK hynix will invest 800 trillion won in new wafer fabrication plants. The government has also approved a five-year technology roadmap that calls for more than 200 trillion won in research and development spending by 2030.
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The history behind this eventSouth Korea Moves to Accelerate $576 Billion Chip and AI Investment Plan
South Korea has designated semiconductors and artificial intelligence as national strategic industries as it seeks to maintain its lead amid intensifying global chip competition and rising demand for AI computing power. President Lee Jae-myung has instructed the government to remove bottlenecks involving administrative approvals, electricity and water supplies, ensuring that long-term investments by companies including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix proceed on schedule.
As of July 20, 2026, Lee had ordered officials to accelerate chip and AI projects worth a combined $576 billion, stressing that speed is critical in the industrial race. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix plan to invest in new chip production hubs and AI data centers, while the government must complete the necessary power, water and transportation infrastructure in parallel.
South Korea Launches $6.6 Billion AI Investment Plan in Bid to Become Top-Three Global AI Power
South Korea regards AI as central to national competitiveness and industrial upgrading. The Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Science and ICT are supporting domestic models, AI semiconductors and computing infrastructure. With companies such as Nvidia dominating the global supply chain, the government aims to seize a critical window over the next one to two years, reduce reliance on overseas technology and make South Korea one of the world’s top three AI powers.
On May 27, 2026, Vice Minister of Economy and Finance Cho Yong-beom said during a meeting with startups including FuriosaAI in Seoul that the government would invest 9.9 trillion won, or about $6.6 billion, this year to build AI infrastructure including GPUs and restructure fiscal spending. The Ministry of Science and ICT will also deploy domestically developed AI in research and development budget reviews, local administration and care services.
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