South Korea secures $9.5 trillion AI and semiconductor pact with global tech giants

The South Korean government announced that domestic firms will cooperate with major foreign technology companies on a $9.5 trillion (≈ $9,500 billion) semiconductor and AI initiative. The agreements, unveiled at the San Francisco AI Summit, include a $2 trillion partnership between Samsung Electronics and Broadcom for advanced memory chips and AI‑chip foundry work, and a $7.5 trillion cooperation between SK Group and Nvidia for long‑term supply of advanced memory chips.

The plan also covers the construction of AI data centers totalling about 5 GW of capacity, requiring roughly 2 million GPUs. SK Telecom will receive Nvidia support for up to 2 GW of AI‑data‑center expansion, while Antropic will join a GW‑scale AI‑data‑center project in Korea. Additional collaborations involve Naver’s strategic investment with Nvidia and a joint AI‑robot platform between Hyundai Motor Group and Nvidia.

President Lee Jae‑myung presented the initiative as a “mega‑project” to solidify Korea’s role in the global AI supply chain and boost economic growth.