Han Donghoon Pledges 200 Trillion Won Investment Over 5 Years to Build AI Ecosystem

20 Trillion Won Invested in Data Highway
40 Trillion Won Allocated for Energy Infrastructure Development

Han Donghoon, former leader of the People Power Party and a finalist in the party’s third presidential primary, announced on April 30 a pledge to build a robust artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem through a total investment of 200 trillion won over the next five years?100 trillion won led by the government and 100 trillion won led by the private sector. This pledge further details the 200 trillion won investment in AI infrastructure and ecosystem development that he first unveiled in his initial policy vision.

Godongjin, a member of the People Power Party and head of the Future Growth Committee for Han’s People First Campaign, announced the AI ecosystem pledge at the National Assembly’s press center that morning. Han’s vision is to establish South Korea as a global technology powerhouse, driven by the dual engines of AI and semiconductors.

To transform South Korea into an AI powerhouse, Han pledged to establish a strong control tower, invest 140 trillion won in infrastructure, allocate 10 trillion won for nurturing talent in AI and semiconductors, and invest 50 trillion won in AI transformation (AX) application innovation and strengthening the startup ecosystem.

First, the plan is to invest more than 50 trillion won in five regional megapolises nationwide to establish seven data centers?two for training and five for inference. The initiative also includes a two-track support system for domestic neural processing unit (NPU) companies and their client firms, along with active support for an open-source project to develop integrated optimization software for domestic NPUs for AI developers.

To drive AI innovation, more than 20 trillion won will be invested to build a “data highway.” After establishing industry-specific data hubs, regulations will be reformed to allow the private sector to freely utilize both industrial and public data. Han also pledged to attract foreign investment and promote multicultural AI open-source projects, focusing on regions such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America.

To operate large-scale data centers and semiconductor fabs (manufacturing facilities), the plan is to create a stable power grid centered on nuclear energy and invest more than 70 trillion won in energy infrastructure. By making the development of general-purpose artificial intelligence (AGI) the core driving force?beyond just developing AI foundation models through public-private cooperation?the plan aims to accelerate and vitalize the AI industry.

Godongjin, a member of the People Power Party, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the National Assembly on the 2nd. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

To establish a strong control tower for securing AI sovereignty, Han plans to create a Ministry of Future Strategy, maximize policy implementation efficiency through inter-ministerial cooperation, and have a national Chief AI Officer (CAIO) perform a role similar to that of a corporate CAIO. The organizational restructuring plan also includes establishing an “AI and Semiconductor Industry Policy Office” within the presidential office to strengthen strategic responses to rapidly changing global technological competition.

Each year, 200 top-tier domestic and international AI talents will receive generous salary support through public-private matching. The plan also includes expanding and supporting degree programs for cultivating AI semiconductor specialists, establishing basic research centers for AI semiconductors, expanding military service exemptions, and introducing a national scholarship system for pure science students. To complete the AX innovation that integrates AI into all industries, a 50 trillion won AI startup fund will be created.

Godongjin emphasized, “100 trillion won over five years means 20 trillion won per year. This year’s budget is 673 trillion won, so that’s about 3 percent. This year, a special fund of 50 trillion won was set aside for advanced industries, so considering this, I don’t think 20 trillion won is a burden on the national budget.”