South Korea has formally launched an ambitious mission to build homegrown artificial intelligence (AI) foundation models, aiming to secure its place among the world&rsquo;s top AI powerhouses.
At a ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT in Seoul on Tuesday, officials announced the participation of five domestic consortiums led by Naver Cloud, Upstage, SK Telecom, NC AI Co., and LG AI Research. These firms will receive state support, including access to GPU resources worth 157.6 billion won ($113 million).
Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon urged the tech leaders to take bold strides, saying, &ldquo;We would like to ask the companies to take on a greater challenge to develop AI for everyone, and for the growth and expansion of South Korea's AI ecosystem.&rdquo;
Executives from the consortiums outlined their commitments. Kim Yu-won of Naver Cloud emphasized developing an AI system rooted in Korea&rsquo;s unique social and cultural context. Meanwhile, Lim Yoo-hyung, head of LG AI Research, said, &ldquo;Under the mission of being responsible for South Korea&rsquo;s AI future, we are deeply committed to generating results that people can be proud of.&rdquo;
The initiative follows the establishment of the National AI Strategy Committee, chaired by President Lee Jae Myung, which aims to elevate South Korea into the world&rsquo;s top three AI leaders. Officials highlighted that foundation models large-scale systems trained on vast datasets, will play a central role in driving innovation across industries.
By combining government backing with the country&rsquo;s top tech expertise, South Korea hopes to accelerate breakthroughs in AI that align with its national priorities, while ensuring global competitiveness.

Five major tech consortiums to build AI models with state backing and national vision

Korea Launches Mission for Homegrown AI

Five major tech consortiums to build AI models with state backing and national vision

September 9, 2025 | 16:28 IST