Yoo Sang-im "Korean AI Technology One Year Behind Europe... Radical Support Needed"

Minister Yoo: "Korea Lags Behind the US in AI by 1.3 Years... Bold Support Needed"
Plans to Expand AI Computing Infrastructure and Prevent Talent Outflow

Yonhap News

Yoo Sang-im, Minister of Science and ICT, stated, "Korea's artificial intelligence (AI) technology lags behind the leading technology nation, the United States, by 1.3 years and Europe by 1 year," adding, "As the global AI hegemony competition accelerates, we also need bold support."

Minister Yoo made these remarks during an AI issue public hearing held at the plenary meeting of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee (STIBC) in the afternoon, reporting on current issues.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, Korea ranks within the top three globally in AI, alongside Singapore, the United Kingdom, and France, excluding the United States and China, and possesses 10 proprietary AI-based models. However, domestic computing infrastructure is significantly lacking, with only about 2,000 H100 graphics processing units (GPUs) as of 2023, compared to Meta and Microsoft, which each have 150,000 units.

Minister Yoo explained, "Recently, the new U.S. administration announced the Stargate project, investing approximately 730 trillion won in 'AI data centers,' while the European Union (EU) has announced a 300 trillion won investment plan, and France has revealed a 163 trillion won scale investment plan," emphasizing, "We also need bold support."

In response, the Ministry of Science and ICT plans to expand AI computing infrastructure equivalent to 18,000 advanced GPUs by the first half of 2026 and will prioritize securing 10,000 GPUs through the national AI computing center within the year. The ministry will focus on developing next-generation AI models through the 'World Best LLM' project, also known as the 'Korean-style ChatGPT,' and by hosting a global AI challenge.

Through the issue report, Minister Yoo highlighted, "Currently, Korea produces only 2% of the world's top 20% AI researchers, and the starting salary for PhD-level AI researchers in domestic companies is about 400 million won, significantly lower than the over 1.2 billion won offered by overseas companies," stressing, "We will also strengthen support measures to prevent talent outflow and attract global talent."

To implement this strategy, the Ministry of Science and ICT plans to designate AI as a national strategic technology to enhance tax support (30-50% for research and development, 15-35% for investment) and improve regulations related to AI data centers to promote private investment. Additionally, detailed implementation plans will be discussed and progress monitored under the leadership of the 'National AI Committee.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.