韩国以AI数据中心和Physical AI为核心推进长期产业投资计划

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SK data center bet sets sights on intelligence exports

Sherri Wang
, DIGITIMES, Taipei

Jul 7, 2026, 07:37

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Credit:SK Telecom;

South Korea is moving to position itself as an exporter of "intelligence" rather than just the chips and equipment that go into building it, with SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won outlining an AI data center plan expected to involve more than KRW1,000 trillion (approx. US$652.7 billion) in investment, according to Hankyung.

Speaking on June 29 at the National Report Meeting on Korea's Great Leap Forward, a briefing centered on three mega projects, Chey said the plan is meant to build large-scale "AI production factories" so the country can export intelligence generated from data as a new national growth engine, rather than stopping at semiconductors and other components used to construct AI data centers elsewhere.
A national buildout beyond Ulsan
SK plans to build 1-gigawatt data centers, measured by power capacity, in the central region, the Daegu-Gyeongbuk area, the Honam region, and Gangwon province, in addition to its existing site in Ulsan. Construction is expected to begin in the first half of 2028, with facilities opening in phases starting in 2029.
SK Telecom is already building an AI data center in Ulsan with Amazon Web Services, targeting operation in the second half of 2027. SK has also announced a joint plan with Nvidia to build a next-generation AI data center called an "AI Factory." SK intends to keep investing at these sites to expand total capacity to 15 gigawatts by 2035, pushing cumulative investment above KRW1,000 trillion.
Chey said AI data centers would serve as the heart driving robots and physical AI, and would help establish new upstream and downstream industries in AI components, equipment, and software.
Other Korean conglomerates are pursuing similar plans. GS Group plans to invest KRW30 trillion in a 2.4-gigawatt AI data center in Gangwon province, with the Donghae Bukpyeong No. 2 industrial complex cited as a likely candidate site. Naver is building a 1-gigawatt facility in Sejong and other locations.
Combined, the three companies' data centers span seven sites totaling 18.4 gigawatts of power capacity. Adding a planned Samsung SDS facility in Haenam, South Jeolla province, would push total capacity above 20 gigawatts.
The government expects that, if the projects proceed as planned, South Korea will become an AI infrastructure hub for the Asia-Pacific region. Industry estimates suggest the country could rank third worldwide in installed capacity, behind the US and China. Seoul plans to support the sector through cluster development, large-scale test labs, workforce training, tax credits, and links to a planned national growth fund.
Physical AI becomes a strategic industry
Alongside data centers, both government and industry are moving to build up physical AI.
Samsung Group has said it will build a physical AI and humanoid robot production line in Gumi, North Gyeongsang province, tied to the AI data center Samsung SDS is constructing, as part of a push toward software self-sufficiency. Samsung Electronics is developing humanoid robots with its affiliate Rainbow Robotics, and the plan is the company's first concrete outline for humanoid robot mass production.
The government plans to build Gumi and Saemangeum, North Jeolla province, into the country's two main robotics clusters. Hyundai Motor Group is building a humanoid production plant in Saemangeum, where a data center to collect robot training data is also expected to be established.
Physical AI has been designated a national strategic industry, with the government supporting component clusters in both regions and leading the development of AI models that would let robots move autonomously. Seoul plans to build a national system for managing and using manufacturing data and to develop AI models specialized for manufacturing, gathering data currently scattered across ministries, and protecting its value during overseas transfers.
Once that data foundation is in place, the government aims to build a general-purpose physical AI foundation model within three years, based on a "world model" capable of understanding the real world and predicting outcomes.
Bae Kyung-hoon, deputy prime minister and minister of science and ICT, said South Korea has strong manufacturing infrastructure and world-class AI capabilities, and that designating physical AI as a national strategic industry would help the country lead the field globally.
Seoul readies fund for mega projects
The push is also being framed in Seoul as a fiscal opportunity. Reuters reported July 5 that the Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said the government plans to set up a Future Response Fund using extra tax revenue generated by the semiconductor boom. The fund would be used for growth engines, support for younger generations, and efforts to narrow economic inequality.
Kang said the fund would back the three mega projects, generate new growth drivers, address what he called "K-shaped" economic polarization, and provide housing, startup, and employment support for people in their 20s and 30s. He called the proposed fund a cornerstone of President Lee Jae-myung's goal of making South Korea globally "irreplaceable."
The comments came days after Lee unveiled the three large-scale industrial projects centered on semiconductors, physical AI and data centers, backed by planned investment from Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and government agencies. Prime Minister Han Sung-sook described the effort as a 30-year strategy linking semiconductors, AI, data centers, and physical AI, saying it could become a new growth engine if the government, the ruling party, and private industry work as "one team." Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do pledged legislative and budget support for early implementation.
LG adds supply-chain layer in Yeongnam
The strategy is also extending into the AI infrastructure supply chain. Chosun and Asia Business Daily reported that LG plans to invest KRW9.4 trillion in the Yeongnam region by 2030 to strengthen AI infrastructure and advanced manufacturing.
LG announced the plan on July 3 at a national report meeting on advanced industry development in the region, held in Jinju, South Gyeongsang province. The company said it will focus on core technologies and manufacturing capabilities tied to AI data centers, optical technology, semiconductor substrates, and next-generation displays.
In Changwon, LG Electronics plans to expand HVAC research and development to keep pace with growing AI data center demand, while also increasing investment in next-generation premium home appliance technology. In Gumi, LG Innotek is investing in mass-producing new optical solution models and expanding semiconductor substrate production capacity, while LG Display plans to expand production infrastructure for next-generation display models.
The plans show how South Korea's AI strategy is expanding from data centers into physical AI, manufacturing data, cooling, optical solutions, semiconductor substrates, and next-generation displays.

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