International Benchmark · Updated 2026-02-17
🇰🇷 South Korea AI Strategy Benchmark
Republic of Korea
One-line Read
South Korea is the most ambitious AI player among mid-sized economies — its ₩100 trillion (~US$71.5 billion) public-private fund vastly outstrips peer nations. Chaebols including Samsung, Naver and Kakao are actively developing proprietary large models, and the 2024 passage of the AI Basic Act signalled governance resolve.
Core Strategies
K-AI Strategy
National AI development blueprint
AI Basic Act
Passed by the National Assembly in 2024 and effective 2025; Asia's first full-scope AI law
AI Semiconductor Strategy
Strengthen sovereign AI chip capability
Investment and Resources
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Public-Private Joint AI Fund | ₩100 trillion (~US$71.5 billion) | Multi-year public-private partnership fund |
| NVIDIA Partnership | US$3 billion | AI infrastructure and R&D collaboration |
Governance Model
South Korea passed the AI Basic Act in 2024 (effective 2025) — Asia's first full-scope AI law. The Act uses a risk-tiered approach, sets up an AI Committee, requires impact assessments for high-risk AI, and tries to balance innovation. It is more legally binding than Singapore's voluntary framework.
Strengths vs Singapore
- • Crushing investment scale — ₩100 trillion is roughly 25x Singapore's government AI spend
- • Chaebol system enables rapid large-scale AI deployment (Samsung, LG, Hyundai, etc.)
- • Semiconductor manufacturing capability (Samsung, SK hynix)
- • AI Basic Act provides a stronger legal framework than Singapore's
Weaknesses vs Singapore
- • Chaebol dominance may crowd out the startup ecosystem
- • Less internationalised than Singapore; weaker English-language environment
- • Less effective at attracting international talent and firms than Singapore
- • Population ageing poses long-term talent challenges
Key Initiatives and Bodies
Key Initiatives
- • ₩100 trillion public-private AI fund
- • AI Basic Act implementation (2025)
- • Proprietary large models from Samsung / Naver / Kakao
- • US$3 billion AI partnership with NVIDIA
- • AI semiconductor sovereignty strategy
Key Bodies
- MSIT (Ministry of Science and ICT) — Lead ministry for AI policy
- NIPA (National IT Industry Promotion Agency) — AI industry promotion
- AI Committee — Cross-ministry coordination body established under the AI Basic Act
Sources
- • K-AI Strategy (2019)
- • Full text of the AI Basic Act (2024)
- • Korea AI Semiconductor Strategy (2024)
Related Reading
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Data on this page is compiled from official government documents, international organisation reports and public sources, independently curated by Singapore AI Observatory. Data as of February 2026.