LG AI Research, SK Telecom, and Upstage advance in South Korean AI project

AI foundation models sovereign AI South Korea AI project LG AI Research SK Telecom

South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT has announced the results of the second evaluation stage for the Independent AI Foundation Model (DOKPAMO) project. LG AI Research, SK Telecom, and Upstage have successfully advanced to the third stage. Motif Technologies was eliminated from the competition despite high performance on global benchmarks.

The evaluation process integrated benchmark testing, expert reviews, and user experience assessments from both professionals and the general public. To support the remaining teams, the government plans to increase computing resource allocations, raising the availability of NVIDIA B200 GPUs from approximately 768 units in the first half of the year to 1,000 units in the second half.

The competition aims to develop homegrown AI models capable of competing with leading global technologies. A final selection of two teams will be conducted through a third evaluation scheduled for the end of the year.

Separately, the AI Summit Seoul & Expo 2026 is currently underway at COEX, showcasing various AI solutions, robotics, and business connectivity programs from 118 companies across seven countries.

Entities

AI Summit Seoul & Expo · LG AI Research · Ministry of Science and ICT · Motif Technologies · Motif Technology · SK Telecom · Upstage

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] The second evaluation focused on usability and practical demonstration technology rather than just benchmark scores.
[● 8 SOURCES] LG AI Research, SK Telecom, and Upstage have passed the second evaluation stage. www.hani.co.kr · localsegye.co.kr · socialvalue.kr · ai.cnmo.com · www.koreatimes.co.kr · +1 more
[● 5 SOURCES] The final two teams will be selected through a third evaluation at the end of the year. www.hani.co.kr · socialvalue.kr · www.koreatimes.co.kr · www.koreaherald.com
[● 5 SOURCES] Motif Technology has been eliminated from the second stage of the Independent AI Foundation Model (DOKPAMO) project. www.hani.co.kr · socialvalue.kr · www.koreatimes.co.kr · www.koreaherald.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The second evaluation included benchmark performance, expert reviews, and user assessments. socialvalue.kr · www.koreatimes.co.kr · www.koreaherald.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The government will increase computing resource support, raising B200 GPU availability from 768 to approximately 1,000 units. socialvalue.kr · www.koreaherald.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The AI Summit Seoul & Expo 2026 features 118 companies from 7 countries. localsegye.co.kr