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https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/path/A2025062014220001897
President Lee Jae Myung made it clear that his administration is placing top priority on advancing Korea to become one of the world’s top three artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouses with his attendance at the launch ceremony of a local AI data center in Ulsan on Friday.
The visit marked his first industrial site visit since taking office early this month.
His move is seen widely as a clear declaration that fostering the AI industry will be one of his administration’s highest priorities over the next five years. Strengthening the country’s global competitiveness in AI has been a consistently emphasized key pledge since his presidential campaign.
Highlighting the broader significance of the initiative, the president described the launch of the AI data center in Ulsan as a source of “new hope” for regional industries and local economic revitalization. The 103-megawatt data center will be built jointly by SK Group and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
“The reason I made time to visit here is because I firmly believe this AI data center will serve as a beacon of hope for local economic and industrial revitalization,” Lee said in his congratulatory remarks.
“I hope this marks the beginning not only of Ulsan’s economic revival, but also of a new chapter in Korea’s national growth.”
Lee emphasized that Korea has reached a critical turning point in its development, calling for bold national and industrial transformation led by AI and advanced technologies.
“Korea has experienced rapid growth until now, but I believe we’ve arrived at a major inflection point,” he said. “Depending on how we prepare, we could step into an entirely new future, or regress from here. That’s the situation we’re facing.”
Expressing confidence in the resilience of the Korean people, Lee added: “With the remarkable strength of our citizens, I believe we will overcome this challenge and usher in a new era for Korea. And within that strength lies the excellence of our business leaders.”
Lee praised the private sector for its role in driving the country’s industrial and economic growth, saying he believes Korea’s businesses will continue to lead in the era of AI and cutting-edge technologies.
“This AI data center could become a model showing that Korea’s high-tech industries can thrive not only in the capital region but also across the provinces,” he said.
The president also took a moment to praise SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, acknowledging his efforts in pushing forward the establishment of the AI data center.
SK Group, in partnership with global cloud computing giant AWS, announced plans to invest several trillion won to build a hyperscale AI data center in the Ulsan Mipo National Industrial Complex. The project will be led by SK Telecom, SK Broadband and AWS, and will involve the deployment of 60,000 graphic processing units (GPUs), making it one of the largest AI data centers in Korea.
“The AI data center in Ulsan will play a key role in developing the best ‘AI highway’ and infrastructure,” Chey said.
He suggested the government place orders for AI apps, which he said would be able to create demand from the public sector worth 5 trillion won. The chairman also asked for more government support to link large companies, startups, research institutions and small businesses in expanding use of AI infrastructure and increasing market potential.
The AI data center is in line with the government’s broader push for regional innovation and global tech competitiveness.
Following the launch ceremony, the president hosted a roundtable with leaders from Korea’s top tech companies to discuss strategies for AI industry development and global cooperation. Attendees included Chey, Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a, Samsung SDS CEO Lee June-hee, Naver Cloud CEO Kim Yu-won and LG AI Research Director Bae Kyung-hoon, among others.
From the early days of his campaign, Lee has consistently stressed the importance of the AI sector. As one of his five key pledges, he promised a 100 trillion won investment to position Korea among the world’s top three AI powerhouses and to strengthen the nation’s future strategic industries.
He reiterated this vision during his inaugural address on June 4.
“Through large-scale investment and support in advanced technology industries such as AI and semiconductors, we will become a global industrial leader and shape the future,” he said.
Shortly after taking office, Lee reorganized the presidential office to reflect this focus, creating a new post of senior presidential secretary for AI and future planning. Ha Jung-woo, former head of Naver Cloud’s AI Innovation Center and a leading private-sector expert, was appointed for the role.
