[Reporter’s Notebook] What the US Overlooks While Criticizing Korea’s Digital Barriers

"There were specific circumstances behind our decision last May to restrict participation in the bidding process for high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) and cloud services to Korean companies only."

An official from the Ministry of Science and ICT recently commented regarding the United States Trade Representative’s inclusion of South Korea in its '2026 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers,' which expressed dissatisfaction over the intentional exclusion of American companies in Korea’s artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure procurement and security certification systems. The official explained that there were special circumstances: the GPU bidding project was pursued through a supplementary budget, and it was essential at the time for the nation to secure its own AI models and infrastructure from a national security standpoint.

The GPU bidding project referenced by the United States last May was part of the Korean government’s supplementary budget initiative in the AI sector, for which over 1 trillion won was allocated. At that time, the Ministry of Science and ICT aimed to secure 10,000 advanced GPUs through the supplementary budget and expand demonstration projects for the early commercialization of domestically produced AI semiconductors. The very purpose of the supplementary budget was to vitalize the domestic AI ecosystem and address national security concerns.

Given that AI has become a pillar of national security, this issue could be viewed as an exception under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Government Procurement Agreement. AI is not just a simple technology; it is a matter of comprehensive sovereignty that encompasses social, economic, industrial, and military domains. According to Article 23 of the WTO Government Procurement Agreement, procurement related to national security can be excluded from the agreement, even among signatory countries.

The United States interpreted this unique and temporary project initiated under these concerns as 'discrimination' against American companies. Moreover, in the 'AI Research Computing Support Project' conducted as part of the regular budget last year—outside of the supplementary budget—Amazon Web Services (AWS) became the first global cloud company selected to build a data center in Korea. Considering that the Ministry of Science and ICT has placed no restrictions on domestic or foreign companies for this year’s GPU purchase and rental project, it is difficult to argue that Korea has intentionally excluded foreign companies in both the past and present.

Because the report was based on data as of last December, it fails to reflect recent developments. One notable example is the restriction on overseas transfers of location-based data. In February, the Korean government granted Google permission to export high-precision maps under strict security conditions. At the time, there was a strong reaction in Korea, with many saying, "We didn’t expect the government to grant permission so easily." However, the report released this month states, "As of December 31, 2025, there have been no approved cases," essentially repeating the same content as last year’s report with only the date changed.

The United States' misunderstandings and complaints are partly motivated by an intention to expand the global influence of big tech companies and to use these issues as leverage to intensify trade pressure. South Korea now finds itself in a challenging position, needing to balance demands for opening its public market with the imperative to secure AI leadership. It is hoped that the government will play a constructive role in resolving U.S. concerns and misunderstandings, thereby restoring both AI sovereignty and a fair trade order.

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