Naver, the South Korean online platform, has inaugurated its second data center, GAK Sejong, in the special self-governing city of Sejong. The facility aims to drive technological innovation and boost business expansion centered around AI and cloud computing.
According to Naver’s CEO, Choi Soo-yeon, hyperscale data centers have gained recognition as vital infrastructure for technological advancement. Naver has been gearing up for hyperscale data centers since the launch of GAK Chuncheon a decade ago.
GAK Sejong integrates Naver’s expertise in cutting-edge technologies, such as AI, cloud computing, robotics, and autonomous driving, with the knowledge gained from operating its initial data center, GAK Chuncheon, in Gangwon Province.
Naver’s first data center has operated seamlessly without any service interruptions, accidents, or disasters since its establishment in 2013. To meet the growing demand for AI-driven high-capacity data processing, Naver has introduced GAK Sejong, a hyperscale data processing-dedicated facility.
Spanning an area equivalent to 41 football fields (294,000 square meters), GAK Sejong can accommodate up to 600,000 server units, making it the largest data center in Korea for a single company.
Naver disclosed that GAK Sejong has a data storage capacity of up to 65 exabytes, which is 6.75 times that of GAK Chuncheon. (One exabyte equals approximately 1 billion gigabytes.)
Additionally, Naver operates the most extensive GPU optimized for high computer processing in Korea, particularly for large-scale AI applications, as stated by Kim Yu-won, CEO of Naver’s cloud computing affiliate, Naver Cloud.
GAK Sejong has plans to expand its capacity sixfold through gradual expansions, according to the Naver Cloud CEO. He further noted that the currently utilized space constitutes only one-sixth of the total area. The infrastructure and space have been designed to accommodate future expansions, aligning with technological advancements and data growth.