South Korea Breaks Ground on 2.5 Trillion KRW National AI Computing Center
South Korea has officially broken ground on the National AI Computing Center (KOACC) in Jeollanam-do, a 2.5 trillion KRW project slated for completion by 2028. The project is led by a consortium including Samsung SDS, NAVER Cloud, and various South Korean government agencies. This infrastructure project aims to bolster South Korea's AI ecosystem by providing cost-effective AI computing resources globally and supporting public sector AI transformation. It also serves as a critical testing ground to validate and advance domestically developed Neural Processing Units (NPUs). Samsung SDS is the largest shareholder in the KOACC consortium with a 30% stake, followed by South Korean government bodies holding 29% and NAVER Cloud with 26.1%. The center will feature a dedicated R&D zone specifically designed to test and validate domestic AI chips.
## BACKGROUND
A Neural Processing Unit (NPU) is a specialized microprocessor optimized for accelerating machine learning and deep learning tasks by mimicking human brain functions. South Korea has been actively promoting its domestic semiconductor industry through initiatives like the "K-Nvidia" project to reduce reliance on foreign AI hardware.