Lee vows full-scale support for AI to create new growth engine

President Lee Jae Myung vowed Friday to provide full-scale support for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, aiming to position it as South Korea’s next major economic growth driver.

Lee made the remarks during a ceremony to launch a project to build an AI data center in Ulsan, some 305 kilometers southeast of Seoul, which is jointly being built by SK Group and Amazon Web Services.

The facility will become South Korea’s largest AI center when completed, serving as essential infrastructure for Lee’s vision to build an “AI highway” to make the nation one of the world’s top three AI powers.

“The new government will actively provide full-scale support for AI so that the Republic of Korea can leap forward as a fast-growing nation, making AI a core driver of economic growth,” Lee said.

To realize this vision, Lee pledged bold tax incentives and regulatory reforms to encourage private sector investment, and to secure data and train skilled professionals.

He also underscored the need to develop a sovereign AI model accessible to the general public that benefits them in their daily lives, as well as customized models for specific industries to propel innovation and AI transformation across sectors.

During the ceremony, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said while the facility is currently under construction with an initial capacity of 100 megawatts, it will eventually be expanded to 1 gigawatt, evolving into a global AI hub capable of meeting domestic and international demand.

“The Ulsan AI data center will play a key role in building the best AI highway and infrastructure,” Chey said.

In Lee’s meeting with AI industry officials, Chey suggested that the government adopt a wider range of AI technologies to stimulate public demand in the sector.

“The most effective form of government support would be for the government itself to place orders for AI applications,” he said.