[Haenam = E-Daily Reporter Han Kwangbeom ] Construction has begun on the “National AI Computing Center” in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, aimed at securing high-performance computing infrastructure—a key resource in the competition for generative artificial intelligence (AI). The government plans to build infrastructure capable of handling 15,000 cutting-edge AI semiconductor wafers by 2028 and to proactively provide access to some of these resources starting in 2027—even before the project is fully completed—to meet the AI development needs of domestic companies and research institutions.
As the AI competition expands beyond model performance to a race for computing resources such as GPUs, the strategy is to establish national-level AI infrastructure to lay the foundation for the domestic AI ecosystem and foster the region as a hub for Asian AI infrastructure.
On the 3rd, the Ministry of Science and ICT held a groundbreaking ceremony for the National AI Computing Center at the Solasi-do Data Center Park site in Haenam, Gwangju-Jeonnam Integrated Special City. This project is a national initiative to secure the computing resources necessary for AI model development and service operations, with a total investment of over 2 trillion won from 2026 to 2030.
In particular, Haenam Solasi-do, where the center will be located, is regarded as an area that possesses the land necessary for constructing a large-scale data center and the conditions for a renewable energy-based power supply. The government plans to develop the National AI Computing Center as a model for balanced development—spreading AI infrastructure concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area to regional areas—and to foster it as an Asian AI computing hub.
Samsung SDS Consortium ‘KOACC’ Launched… Establishing a Public-Private AI Infrastructure ModelThe construction and operation of the center will be handled by the Korea AI Computing Center (KOACC), a
public-privatejoint venture.
KOACC is a special-purpose company (SPC) established after the Samsung SDS (SAMSUNG SDS CO., LTD.(018260)) consortium was selected as the operator; it officially launched in June after completing its incorporation and business registration.
The consortium includes nine organizations and companies, such as Samsung SDS, Naver Cloud, SAMSUNG C&T CORPORATION, Kakao, SamsungElectronics, Clush, KTCorporation, the Gwangju-Jeonnam Integrated Special City, and SuNAM Co., Ltd.
COARC is responsible for the construction and operation of the National AI Computing Center and will provide the secured AI computing resources to companies and research institutions. It is regarded as a new public-private partnership model, as it involves private companies with expertise in cloud computing, data centers, and semiconductors, rather than being built directly by the government.
Lee Jun-hee, CEO of Samsung SDS, stated, “The National AI Computing Center is a collaborative model in which the government and the private sector join hands to enhance South Korea’s AI competitiveness,” adding, “We will strive to build top-tier AI infrastructure and promote shared growth with the local community.”
15,000 AI SemiconductorWafers
toBe
Produced… Partial Resources to Be Supplied First in 2027The center is scheduled to be built with a capacity of
15,000 advanced AI
semiconductorwafers by 2028.
Although the Samsung SDS consortium initially proposed a plan based on NVIDIA’s B200, given the rapid pace of change in AI semiconductor technology, the policy is to flexibly adopt the optimal semiconductors while reflecting the release of the latest products and market conditions.
Power and water supplies—key elements for data center operations—have also been secured. Following an evaluation of the power grid, a 40-megawatt (MW) supply has been confirmed from KoreaElectricPower (KEPCO) and local governments, and a water supply system has been established. In particular, to reduce environmental impact, the center plans to adopt an eco-friendly water-cooling system that recovers and reuses 95% of the water.
Prior to the center’s completion in 2027, some computing resources will be made available early by utilizing the Samsung SDS data center. However, the initial service scale and target customers are currently under discussion.
A ‘Two-Track’ Approach: Securing
GPUs and Fostering Domestic NPUsThe National AI Computing Center is expected to serve as a hub for enhancing the competitiveness of the domestic AI industry, going beyond simply securing GPUs.
The center will also utilize its research and development (R&D) zone to support performance verification and pilot testing of domestically produced AI semiconductors and neural processing units (NPUs).
The government plans to simultaneously pursue the procurement of global GPUs and the development of domestic AI semiconductors to reduce dependence on foreign products and strengthen the competitiveness of the AI ecosystem.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon stated, “Through the National AI Computing Center, we will simultaneously secure cutting-edge GPUs and revitalize the domestic AI semiconductor industry, aiming to become Asia’s AI infrastructure hub.”
The National AI Computing Center is expected to help alleviate the shortage of AI computing resources faced by domestic companies and research institutions. However, securing AI infrastructure alone does not guarantee competitiveness. Success will depend on how effectively the secured GPUs are utilized to develop world-class AI models and services.
