Choi Tae-won: "We Need to Copy Nvidia's Strategy... The Formula for AI Success Is Speed, Scale, and Security" (Comprehensive)

Special Lecture at Korea-China Parliamentary Alliance Policy Seminar

Lack of Infrastructure in South Korea... Highlights Need for Investment

Proposes 'Economic Integration' with Japan

Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of SK Group, proposed large-scale investments in AI data center infrastructure and economic integration between South Korea and Japan as strategies for Korea to respond to the U.S.-China competition for AI technology supremacy. He presented "speed, scale, and security" as the formula for success in the AI era and emphasized, "We need to copy Nvidia's strategy."

On the 28th, Chairman Choi delivered a special lecture on the topic of "Growth Strategy for South Korea Amid the U.S.-China AI Technology Hegemony Competition" at the first Korea-China Parliamentary Friendship League policy seminar of 2026, held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building.

Kim Tae-nyeon, chairman of the Korea-China Parliamentary Friendship League and member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated, "AI is demanding significant changes not only in industry and the economy, but also in everyday life, and the global trade environment is changing drastically compared to the past." He added, "Now is a time of competition between nations. Collaboration among businesses, government, and the National Assembly is extremely important."

Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and SK Group, is giving a lecture on the topic of "Growth Strategy for South Korea Amid the U.S.-China AI Technology Hegemony Competition" at the Korea-China Parliamentary League Policy Seminar held at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on the 28th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Chairman Choi identified funding and electricity for data centers, as well as GPUs and memory chips, as bottlenecks in the AI competition. He stressed, "How each country leverages these bottlenecks is the key to an AI growth strategy."

He particularly compared AI data centers not simply to storage facilities, but to "factories that produce intelligence," and pointed out Korea's lack of infrastructure. Chairman Choi explained, "Less than 5% of domestic data centers can actually function as AI data centers," and added, "To overcome this, we need to invest about $50 billion to build 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity."

He also addressed the issue of power supply. He stated, "A single nuclear power plant generates about 1 GW, but in reality, you need a surplus of 1.2 to 1.3 GW to stably operate an AI data center," and noted, "Korea can generate an additional 50 GW with a reserve margin of over 30%, but the problem is low transmission efficiency." He added, "China has already surpassed the U.S. in electricity production and is expected to further increase production speed."

He further emphasized the need for "a system that allows electricity to be used efficiently at the place where it is generated." Chairman Choi cited "distributed power generation" as a good example, suggesting, "If a particular industry uses a lot of electricity, it may be better to create an environment that accommodates that."

Chairman Choi listed speed, scale, and security as the keys to success in the era of AI technological hegemony. He said, "Even if the technology is incomplete, it should be developed quickly to attract people, and a minimum scale must be secured," adding, "First, we must copy Nvidia's strategy."

Kim Tae-nyeon, chairman of the Korea-China Parliamentary Friendship League and member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is giving a greeting speech at the Korea-China Parliamentary Friendship League policy seminar held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 28th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

He also suggested that forming an economic union with Japan could be an excellent response to the U.S.-China competition for dominance. Chairman Choi argued, "If we integrate with Japan, the combined GDP will reach $6 trillion," emphasizing, "We need to move beyond mere cooperation with Japan, which is in the same position as us, toward true economic integration."

In response to a question from Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Minhee about concrete plans for South Korea-Japan economic integration, he explained, "If we share power lines with Japan, we can buy additional electricity or send surplus electricity. This is a common practice abroad," and added, "Even if we create synergy in the energy sector alone, it will reduce costs and can be used for investments, resulting in integration benefits."

When asked by Jo Bae-sook, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, to suggest legislative activities for the National Assembly in the AI era, Chairman Choi emphasized, "Lawmakers need to visit the field and see themselves as players." He explained, "Unlike in the past, when regulations under the WTO system governed the global market, that era is over. Someday, we too will have to fight as 'fighters,' and if we only run away for fear of being hit, we will lose out. Lawmakers must be present in the global field."

The Korea-China Parliamentary Friendship League, which organized the seminar, is a bipartisan parliamentary diplomacy platform with 145 lawmakers participating, and continues to discuss policy in a variety of fields, including the economy, diplomacy, and advanced industries.

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