[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyun-ah] The “Korea-Japan Economic Alliance” concept that SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won has been emphasizing for over two years is beginning to take concrete shape in the AI sector. A prime example is the $500 million (approximately 760 billion won) “IOWN AI Fund,” an AI startup investment fund established in partnership with Japan’s NTT and Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom.

Recently, Chairman Choi revealed plans to build an “AI Factory” (a massive AI data center) in Japan at the Nikkei Forum, drawing attention to the connection with the IOWN Fund. The industry is noting that if both countries accelerate the construction of AI infrastructure, the technology and deep-tech startup network secured through the IOWN Fund could be utilized to expand the data center ecosystem in the future.

The First Achievement of Korea-Japan Economic Solidarity

An SK official stated, “The Aion Fund is a practical cooperation model for Korea and Japan to jointly prepare for the AI era,” adding, “It can be viewed as the first tangible result of the Korea-Japan economic solidarity vision proposed by Chairman Choi.”

Chairman Choi has consistently advocated for the concept of a Korea-Japan economic community since 2024. His argument is that, amid intensifying U.S.-China tensions and the restructuring of global supply chains, Korea and Japan must cooperate in the technology and industrial sectors to enhance their international competitiveness.

The combined gross domestic product (GDP) of South Korea and Japan amounts to approximately $6 trillion. Based on this, Chairman Choi has argued that the two countries need to expand their joint market and industrial cooperation.

Supply Chain Investments in Preparation for the AI Data Center Era

The core of the Aion Fund lies in proactive

investments to prepare for the era of AI data centers

.

As the AI infrastructure market grows, securing supply chains is expected to become increasingly important not only for semiconductors such as GPUs and HBM but also in various fields including liquid cooling, power management, optical communications, next-generation substrates, and HVAC systems.

Accordingly, #SK Telecom, NTT, and Chunghwa Telecom have agreed to jointly invest in promising startups in the fields of AI data center infrastructure, AI semiconductors, optical communications, and AI software.

In addition, SK Telecom has decided to build an AI Factory (a massive AI data center) based on the NVIDIA platform (DSX), targeting not only the domestic market but also markets in Japan and Southeast Asia, which is expected to accelerate computing infrastructure cooperation between South Korea and Japan.

An industry insider stated, “This fund is more strategic in nature, aimed at securing the core technologies and supply chains necessary for building future AI infrastructure, rather than being a simple financial investment,” adding, “As investment in AI data centers expands, the importance of related technology companies will also grow.”

NTT-Amazon Collaboration Also

Draws

Attention

There is also a noteworthy development regarding telecommunications infrastructure.

Recently, NTT participated as a reseller in Japan for Amazon’s low-Earth orbit satellite communication service, “Project Kuiper,” through one of its subsidiaries. Through this partnership, the company plans to provide satellite-based communication services to businesses and public institutions.

SK Telecom is also expanding its collaboration with AWS (Amazon Web Services) in the areas of AI data centers and cloud services.

Currently, no specific joint projects between SK Telecom, NTT, and Amazon have been announced. However, it is noteworthy that the scope of cooperation among these companies is expanding in next-generation infrastructure sectors such as AI data centers, optical communication networks, and satellite communications.

The Significance of Korea-Japan-Taiwan Cooperation

Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan’s largest telecommunications company, has also joined the Aion Fund.

NTT and Chunghwa Telecom have long collaborated through the Aion Project, a next-generation optical communication network. With the addition of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry competitiveness and South Korea’s AI and semiconductor capabilities, observers note that a technological cooperation framework among the three countries has been established.

In particular, this fund is significant in that it features an investment structure encompassing the entire AI industry, including AI data centers, semiconductors, and optical communications. It is interpreted as a strategic alliance targeting the entire AI supply chain, going beyond simple cooperation between telecommunications companies.

Until now, the concept of a South Korea-Japan economic alliance has been viewed as a somewhat abstract vision. However, the Aion Fund is significant as a concrete implementation model that pools joint funds to invest in global AI startups.

As AI competition expands beyond competition between nations to competition among ecosystems, it is also noteworthy that companies from South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan have begun cooperating to secure supply chains and technology.

It remains to be seen what investment results the Aion Fund will yield in the future. However, it is widely regarded as highly symbolic that the Korea-Japan economic alliance proposed by Chairman Choi Tae-won has begun to materialize in the form of AI supply chain cooperation.