South Korea aims to be top 3 AI power, citing creative users and tech strength

South Korea has the potential to become one of the world's top three AI powerhouses, driven by its citizens' creative use of artificial intelligence and robust technological infrastructure, according to Ryu Je-Myung, the Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT.

Speaking at the News1 Tech Forum 2026, Ryu highlighted that global tech leaders, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, are paying close attention to South Korea not only for its semiconductor and manufacturing prowess but also for the creativity of its people. He noted that global big tech companies view Korean consumers' AI prompts as particularly creative, indicating immense potential for the nation's population to generate new possibilities in the AI era.

The government is actively pursuing this goal through significant investments and strategic initiatives. This includes securing priority supply of 260,000 high-performance GPUs from Nvidia, as agreed during the APEC summit last year, and allocating 9.9 trillion won for AI initiatives this year to strengthen the AI ecosystem. South Korea is also participating in global AI security initiatives like 'Project Glasswing' by Anthropic and OpenAI's 'GTAC' to address potential security paradigm shifts driven by AI.

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Global big tech companies evaluate Korean consumers' AI prompts as creative. The nation's citizens have infinite potential to create new possibilities in the AI era.

Furthermore, Ryu pointed to the growing adoption of domestic AI models across various sectors, citing LG's 'EXAONE' model for detecting voice phishing in telecommunications and SK's proprietary AI model used in semiconductor manufacturing at SK Hynix. The legal framework is also being strengthened with the AI Basic Act, enacted early this year, and the recently passed ADIC Special Act.

To solidify its position, South Korea plans to build world-class AI infrastructure, including a National AI Computing Center, increase investment in proprietary AI models, boost research in next-generation AI like physical and agentic AI, and promote widespread AI adoption through the 'AI for All' initiative within the year. Ryu emphasized that by uniting its strengths in semiconductors, manufacturing, AI talent, and a dynamic population, South Korea can lead the charge in the agentic AI era, shaping a new order rather than merely adapting to change.

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South Korea possesses world-envied semiconductor and manufacturing capabilities, innovative AI talent, and a dynamic population and market. If these capabilities are united, we can become a nation that creates a new order in the agentic AI era, rather than just following changes.