# South Korean AI infrastructure and model development

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-ai-infrastructure-and-model-development
> Updated: 2026-08-18T02:00:00.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 2.

South Korea is advancing its artificial intelligence infrastructure and sovereign model development through significant government and private sector coordination.

In July 2026, the Deputy Prime Minister and Science and ICT Minister met with CEOs from SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus to coordinate a nationwide rollout of AI-driven data centre (AIDC) infrastructure. The government has earmarked 550 trillion won for an initial gigawatt-scale build-out, with plans to reach 10 GW of capacity by 2035. Major telecom players have announced specific expansion plans, including SK Telecom’s goal of 15 GW by 2035 and KT’s 5 trillion won investment for 1 GW of capacity.

By August 2026, the focus expanded to the development of sovereign AI foundation models. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced the results of a second evaluation for its sovereign AI project, where LG AI Research, SK Telecom, and Upstage advanced to the next stage. While startup Motif Technologies achieved the highest score on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (AAII) benchmark, it was eliminated due to reported struggles in usability and practical application categories. The remaining three teams will compete for two final spots to be determined by the end of the year.

To support these technological advancements, the government intends to increase computing resource allocations, specifically raising the support of NVIDIA B200 GPUs from approximately 768 units in the first half of the year to about 1,000 units in the second half. The project aims to develop homegrown AI models capable of competing with leading global technologies from the United States and China.

## Claims

- LG AI Research, SK Telecom, and Upstage have passed the second evaluation stage. (corroborated by 8 sources)
- Motif Technology has been eliminated from the second stage of the Independent AI Foundation Model (DOKPAMO) project. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- The final two teams will be selected through a third evaluation at the end of the year. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- The second evaluation included benchmark performance, expert reviews, and user assessments. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The government will increase computing resource support, raising B200 GPU availability from 768 to approximately 1,000 units. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The second evaluation focused on usability and practical demonstration technology rather than just benchmark scores. (single source)
- The AI Summit Seoul & Expo 2026 features 118 companies from 7 countries. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-18: LG AI Research, SK Telecom, and Upstage advance in South Korean AI project

LG AI Research, SK Telecom, and Upstage have advanced to the third stage of South Korea's national AI foundation model project, while Motif Technologies was eliminated.

12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-ai-project-lg-sk-telecom-and-upstage-advance-to-final-stage

### 2026-07-19: South Korea's telecom CEOs and deputy prime minister pledge AI data center expansion

South Korea’s deputy prime minister and telecom CEOs agreed to invest 1,000 trillion won in AI data centres, aiming for 10 GW by 2035 with major projects from SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korea-accelerates-ai-adoption-in-agriculture-and-sme-sectors

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Cite as: South Korean AI infrastructure and model development. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-ai-infrastructure-and-model-development