AIDC Special Act Passes National Assembly: "Streamlined Permitting Process and Eased Location Regulations Outside the Capital Region"

Baek Kyunghoon: "Laying the Foundation to Accelerate the Construction of the AI Highway"

Paik Hongun, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, attended the Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 30th, and spoke on current issues such as the direction of data policy promotion in the era of AI transformation. 2026.4.30 Photo by Cho Yongjun

In the future, various permitting and approval procedures required for the establishment of artificial intelligence data centers (AIDC) will be streamlined. As the rapid construction of AIDCs has emerged as a global priority, the government's ongoing efforts to build the "AI Highway" are also expected to gain momentum.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced that the "Special Act on the Promotion of the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Industry" (AIDC Special Act) was passed at the plenary session of the National Assembly on May 7.

Amid intensifying global competition for leadership in AI, securing large-scale graphics processing units (GPUs) and establishing AIDCs to accommodate them are becoming increasingly important worldwide. In Korea, the National Assembly has been discussing the necessity of enacting a special law to accelerate the construction of AIDCs, which are key infrastructure for advancing to AI global top 3 status, and to attract investment.

Since the AIDC Special Act was first proposed in the National Assembly in May last year, the 22nd National Assembly has merged six bills through bipartisan agreement and, after review by the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, passed the act at the plenary session on this day.

First, the permitting and approval process, which imposed a significant burden on operators, will be simplified. The industry has pointed out that the authorities responsible for AIDC-related permits are scattered across multiple agencies, and the lengthy application period has delayed AIDC investment. To address this, AIDC operators will now be able to initiate integrated permitting procedures through a single point of contact—the Ministry of Science and ICT—upon review and resolution by the National AI Strategy Committee. In addition, a "timeout system" will be introduced, under which permits will be considered granted if processing does not occur within a set period, thereby shortening the overall approval process and timeline for AIDCs.

Furthermore, the act includes provisions exempting AIDCs below a certain size from the power grid impact assessment when building new centers, expanding existing ones, or converting existing data centers into AIDCs.

Facility installation standards will also be eased. Although AIDCs are buildings primarily for servers, they have been required to comply with installation standards—such as elevators, parking lots, and artwork—originally designed for buildings centered on user use, based on building area. This requirement will be improved through the special act, allowing for these standards to be relaxed by Presidential Decree.

The AIDC Special Act is scheduled to take effect in February next year, after cabinet approval and promulgation, with a grace period of nine months. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment plan to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish necessary cooperation systems in conjunction with the enactment of this special act.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Baek Kyung-hoon stated, "I find it highly meaningful that the AIDC Special Act, which will drive the rapid expansion of Korea's AI infrastructure, has passed the National Assembly." He emphasized, "In the context of the fierce race for speed in AI, the AIDC Special Act provides a core foundation to accelerate the construction of the AI Highway by encouraging companies to increase AIDC investment and attracting large-scale foreign investment."

Deputy Prime Minister Baek also said, "We will mobilize all available resources to develop customized support measures that address the needs of the industry through close communication with the field, and we will actively cooperate with the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment to ensure a stable power supply to AIDCs."

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