Five National AI Teams Awarded 'K-AI' Emblem... Government Aims to Secure 200,000 GPUs (Comprehensive)

K-AI Emblem Awarded to Lead and Participating Organizations of Five Teams
Minister Bae Kyunghoon: "Plan to Secure 200,000 GPUs by 2030"
"Aiming Not Just for Domestic Success, But to Become a Global Top Model"

The launch ceremony for the "Independent AI Foundation Model" project, which aims to develop a representative artificial intelligence (AI) model for South Korea, was held on the morning of September 9 at the Le Meridien Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. The companies participating in the ceremony expressed their ambition to create globally competitive AI models, while the government announced that it would actively support the initiative, including providing graphic processing units (GPUs).

The Independent AI Foundation Model Project is a government-led initiative to secure an AI foundation model with world-class competitiveness. The project aims to achieve performance at least 95% that of the latest global AI models, supporting over 1,000 GPUs and matching annual salaries for outstanding overseas researchers up to 2 billion won per year. Last month, five elite teams were selected. After the first stage evaluation scheduled for December, one team will be eliminated.

Minister Bae Kyung-hoon of the Ministry of Science and ICT is receiving the 'K-AI' emblem and posing for a commemorative photo at the 'Independent AI Foundation Model Project Launch Ceremony' held on the afternoon of the 9th at the Le Meridien Mid Century Room in Jung-gu, Seoul. From left: Lim Woo-hyung, Director of LG AI Research Institute; Kim Yoo-won, CEO of Naver Cloud; Minister Bae Kyung-hoon; Lee Yeon-su, CEO of NC AI; Yoo Sang-young, CEO of SK Telecom; Kim Sung-hoon, CEO of Upstage. Provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The launch ceremony, hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, was attended by Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, Park Yoon-goo, President of the National IT Industry Promotion Agency, Kim Yoo-won, CEO of Naver Cloud, Kim Sung-hoon, CEO of Upstage, Yoo Sang-young, CEO of SK Telecom, Lee Yeon-soo, CEO of NC AI, and Lim Woo-hyung, Director of LG Management Development Institute AI Research, among other key stakeholders.

Minister Bae stated, "As we hold the launch ceremony for the Independent Foundation Model Project, I feel both excitement and a profound sense of responsibility," emphasizing, "We must create a day when many Korean developers can use the models of these five elite teams, surpassing overseas models like Qwen from Alibaba and Llama from Meta."

He continued, "I hope all companies will not stop at being number one or two domestically, but will become global leaders in terms of performance indicators and usability. We are discussing plans to secure 200,000 GPUs by 2030 through public-private cooperation, building on the current plan to secure 50,000 GPUs by 2028."

The representatives of the five elite teams also shared their resolutions. Kim Yoo-won, CEO of Naver Cloud, said, "We are considering how the AI models our companies are preparing can not only be applied to industry, but also be developed as inclusive AI for the lives of all citizens, including people with disabilities and farmers. We will do our best to enhance our competitiveness in the upcoming competitions."

Kim Sung-hoon, CEO of Upstage, stated, "If we cannot build an AI foundation model with our own technology, AI will be like a castle built on sand. Through this opportunity, we will succeed in creating a frontier model that attracts global attention, not just domestically, with our own technology." Yoo Sang-young, CEO of SK Telecom, remarked, "When our predecessors developed technologies like CDMA, DRAM, and the domestic car Pony, it seemed impossible, but they sowed the seeds for Korea to become a powerhouse in telecommunications, the world’s number one in DRAM, and the third largest in automobiles. We must also dream of global expansion in independent AI technology from the very beginning."

Lee Yeon-soo, CEO of NC AI, said, "We are considering how to contribute our technological capabilities to the nation at a time when K-content is gaining global attention, leveraging our long-standing experience in AI for games and content." Lim Woo-hyung, Director of LG AI Research, added, "If we do not secure AI technology, we must question the very growth of Korea. Although this is a challenging endeavor, I believe the five consortiums can grow together through healthy competition."

Company logos with the K-AI emblem applied. Provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT

At the launch ceremony, the "K-AI" emblem was awarded to the five elite teams. From this day forward, the elite teams will be able to use the K-AI emblem at their discretion. Not only the lead organizations but also the participating organizations of each elite team can use the K-AI emblem.

The attendees discussed plans for the Independent AI Foundation Model Project, including: challenges to develop state-of-the-art (SOTA) independent AI models; strategies for stage evaluations; support measures for AI transformation (AX) across all sectors including public, economic, and social domains; ways to contribute to the "AI for All" ecosystem; and strategies to expand global influence.

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. After further discussions with the five elite teams, detailed plans will be finalized and announced one month before the stage evaluation. As part of this process, a nationwide contest will also be held at the end of December.

Minister Bae urged, "Now is truly the golden time for AI. If we miss this opportunity, we will end up developing services based on others’ models without even being able to discuss independent AI models. The government will take the lead in providing initial support and resolving regulatory issues, so we ask the private sector to help create the AI market."

Science and ICT Minister Paik Kyung-hoon is speaking at the 'Independent AI Foundation Model Project Kickoff Ceremony' held on the afternoon of the 9th at the Le Meridien Mid-Century Room in Jung-gu, Seoul. Provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT