South Korea Aims to Acquire 18,000 GPUs by Mid-2026
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Synopsis
South Korea is set to secure 18,000 high-performance GPUs by mid-2026 to strengthen its AI computing capabilities. The initiative includes acquiring 10,000 GPUs for a national AI center and 8,000 for a sixth supercomputer, aiming to position the country among the top three global AI powers.
Key Takeaways
- South Korea will obtain 18,000 GPUs by mid-2026.
- The plan includes 10,000 GPUs for a new national AI center.
- Another 8,000 GPUs will support the sixth supercomputer.
- The government aims for 50% domestic semiconductor usage by 2030.
- GPUs are vital for AI training and inference.
Seoul, Feb 20 (NationPress) South Korea is set to secure 18,000 high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) by the first half of 2026 to bolster the nation's artificial intelligence (AI) computing capabilities, as stated by the science ministry on Thursday.
The government plans to acquire 10,000 GPUs this year to kickstart a new national AI computing center scheduled for 2027, according to a press release from the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Additionally, 8,000 GPUs will be obtained by June of next year to create the nation's sixth supercomputer, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
This initiative aims to rapidly establish South Korea's AI infrastructure and position the country among the top three global leaders in this domain, though further details were not disclosed.
To facilitate the development of the state AI center, the government intends to have the Korea Development Bank (KDB) provide low-interest policy loans totaling up to 2.5 trillion won (approximately US$1.7 billion) to private firms participating in the construction effort, according to a ministry official.
The AI center is expected to open in 2027, but services are projected to commence this year to assist local businesses and researchers effectively, the official added.
The government aspires to raise the share of domestically produced semiconductors used in the upcoming AI center to 50 percent by 2030, the ministry noted.
GPUs are essential for AI, providing outstanding performance for AI training and inference, and offer considerable benefits for various applications requiring accelerated computing.
As of late 2023, South Korea possessed around 2,000 GPUs, crucial for AI advancement amid global competition over expansive AI infrastructure projects, including the Stargate Project in the United States. The GPUs to be acquired comprise Nvidia Corp.'s H100 and H200.
