The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), has finalized an action plan to establish a National AI Computing Center, outlining funding, governance and policy measures to accelerate the country’s artificial intelligence infrastructure. The plan was presented at ministerial meetings on national and economic affairs on Jan 22 2026. The center is intended to expand access to high-performance computing resources used to train AI models and develop advanced algorithms to support AI services, cloud platforms and data-driven industries.
According to a press release, the MSIT has worked with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Financial Services Commission to address shortages in high-performance AI computing resources. In August, the government adopted a broader plan to strengthen AI computing infrastructure. In September, the National AI Committee announced the establishment of the National AI Computing Center and formed a special committee on AI computing infrastructure.
MSIT emphasized, “Just as broadband networks served as the foundation for Korea’s emergence as an ICT powerhouse, AI computing infrastructure will be a core national asset that supports innovation and growth in the AI transformation era.” The ministry further stated, “We will expedite the establishment of the National AI Computing Center to ensure that businesses and researchers can fully utilize world-class AI computing infrastructure, nurturing the center as a key hub for the growth of the AI computing ecosystem, encompassing AI semiconductors, cloud computing, and AI services.”
Under the new action plan, a special purpose corporation (SPC) will be created with joint public and private investment to build and operate the center. Additional financing, if needed, will be provided through policy-based loans and other financial instruments.
The South Korean government will expand the supply of advanced graphics processing units (GPUs) for industry, universities and research institutes. It also plans to include domestically developed neural processing units (NPUs) and processing-in-memory (PIM) technologies to stimulate demand for local AI semiconductors and support their commercialization. Authorities will encourage participation by global companies and link public research and development projects with industrial applications.
Policy support measures include fast-tracking the required power system impact assessment and seeking designation of AI technology as a national strategic technology under tax law to promote private investment. Government-funded AI projects will be encouraged to use the new center as a priority computing resource.
The ministry center is expected to provide a high-performance research environment for AI development and to support growth in related sectors, including semiconductors, cloud computing and AI-based services. The project call will run from Jan. 23 to May 30 and is open to domestic and international cloud providers, data center operators, telecommunications companies and AI-related firms, including consortiums.