Five National AI Teams Receive 'K-AI' Emblem at Project Launch Ceremony

K-AI Emblem Awarded to Lead and Participating Organizations of Five Teams
Minister Baek Goon: "Government and Private Sector United in Challenge"

The Ministry of Science and ICT held a launch ceremony for the "Independent AI Foundation Model" project on September 9. The companies attending the ceremony expressed their ambition to develop globally competitive AI models ahead of the upcoming stage evaluation.

The Independent AI Foundation Model Project is a government initiative aimed at securing AI foundation models with world-class competitiveness. The project targets performance levels at 95% or higher compared to the latest global AI models, supports more than 1,000 GPUs, and matches annual salaries for outstanding overseas researchers up to 2 billion won per year. Last month, five elite teams were selected, and after the first stage evaluation in December, one team will be eliminated.

Baek Gyeonghun, Minister of Science and ICT. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Key participants at the ceremony included Minister Baek Goon of the Ministry of Science and ICT, Park Yoonkoo, President of the National IT Industry Promotion Agency, Kim Yuwon, CEO of Naver Cloud, Kim Sunghoon, CEO of Upstage, Yoo Youngsang, CEO of SK Telecom, Lee Yeonsoo, Head of NC AI, and Lim Woohyung, Head of LG Academy AI Research Institute.

In his congratulatory remarks, Minister Baek stated, "With a sense of mission to help Korea become a global AI powerhouse, I hope the elite teams will unite and focus their capabilities on developing AI models with global impact." He added, "Beyond model development, I ask that you take on even greater challenges for the growth and expansion of Korea's AI ecosystem and the realization of 'AI for All.'"

The leaders of the five elite teams also shared their aspirations. Kim Yuwon, CEO of Naver Cloud, said, "As a national AI elite team, we carry the heavy responsibility of establishing AI sovereignty and will create an AI that best understands Korea's social and cultural context." Lim Woohyung, Head of LG Academy AI Research Institute, pledged, "With a strong sense of responsibility for Korea's AI future, we are determined to deliver results that will make our citizens proud."

Yoo Youngsang, CEO of SK Telecom, stated, "With the sense of duty as a national AI company, we will develop a top-tier AI foundation model for everyday use by the public." Lee Yeonsoo, Head of NC AI, said, "We will develop and secure an AI foundation model that can accelerate AI transformation in the industrial field, leading Korea's AI technology independence and innovation." Kim Sunghoon, CEO of Upstage, emphasized, "As the only startup consortium among the national AI elite teams, we plan to secure Korea's leadership in AI technology globally, based on our proven technological capabilities and execution recognized worldwide."

K-AI Emblem. Provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT

During the ceremony, the "K-AI" emblem was awarded to the five elite teams. From this day forward, the teams will be able to use the K-AI emblem at their discretion. Not only the lead institutions but also participating organizations within the teams may utilize the K-AI emblem.

Attendees at the launch ceremony discussed the Independent AI Foundation Model Project, including ▲plans to take on the challenge of developing state-of-the-art (SOTA) level independent AI models ▲strategies for conducting stage evaluations ▲measures to support AI transformation (AX) across all sectors including public, economic, and social fields ▲ways to contribute to the 'AI for All' ecosystem ▲and strategies to expand global impact.

Meanwhile, the first stage evaluation scheduled for the end of this year will include public and expert assessments, benchmark-based verification, and evaluation of the number of derivative AI models. Detailed implementation plans will be announced one month before the stage evaluation, following further discussions with the five elite teams. As part of this process, a national contest will also be held at the end of December.

Minister Baek concluded, "Although today's launch ceremony ends here, our journey to develop independent AI models and help Korea become a global AI powerhouse is just beginning. The government and the private sector will work together with a united spirit to boldly take on the challenge for the success of the Independent AI Foundation Model Project."