South Korea will host the world’s largest AI data center, with construction approved. The project, a collaboration between LG scion Brian Koo, Dr. Amin Badr-El-Din, and Stock Farm Road, in partnership with Jeollanam-do province, is valued at over $10 billion and could reach $35 billion.
Set for completion by 2028, the Jeollanam-do data center will have a 3-gigawatt capacity, surpassing existing facilities operated by companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. This capacity is projected to triple the power of current leading data centers.
While other nations invest in data infrastructure, South Korea’s approach emphasizes strategic positioning within AI. The project’s backers see the center as a catalyst for next-generation AI, capitalizing on a market projected to reach $438.70 billion by 2028.
“This isn’t about building a data center,” a source close to the project said. “It’s about creating an ecosystem. The scale of this facility will attract researchers, developers, and businesses, fostering an AI community and driving innovation.”
The project acknowledges the challenges of data center development, including increased energy and water consumption and the need for infrastructure upgrades. However, Koo and his partners believe the potential rewards outweigh the risks. They emphasize the project’s potential to elevate South Korea’s technological standing and stimulate economic growth in Jeollanam-do.
While competing projects, such as Meta’s $10 billion investment in US data centers, focus on job creation, South Korea’s initiative takes a broader approach. The emphasis is on building infrastructure that will empower the AI ecosystem, from research to commercialization.
