NIPA to Invest 3 Trillion Won in AI... "Commercialization by Adding Domestic NPUs to AI Models"

National IT Industry Promotion Agency to Invest 3 Trillion Won in AI Projects
K-AI to Be Applied as Industry-Specialized Models
"At the Beginning of the AI Era, We Must Consolidate Our Capabilities"

"It is very interesting to run the Independent AI Foundation Model (Dokpamo) project as a survival competition, but at this stage, we need to consolidate all available capabilities. We decided to proceed with additional open calls without restrictions, as we believe that subtracting any potential participants would be detrimental."

Yoon-kyu Park, President of the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), is giving a presentation at the '2026 Integrated Business Briefing' held at EL Tower in Yangjae, Seoul on the 21st. Photo by Kyungjo Noh

Yoonkyu Park, President of the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), stated at the '2026 Integrated Business Briefing' held at EL Tower in Yangjae, Seoul on the 21st, "By the end of this year, we will also have an AI foundation model at a world-class level."

On January 21, NIPA held the '2026 Integrated Business Briefing' at EL Tower in Yangjae, Seoul, where it announced the main directions for key support projects, including AI infrastructure and global expansion. NIPA, as the lead agency for government-led AI initiatives such as the selection and support of independent AI foundation models and the establishment of a national AI computing center, will invest 3.072645 trillion won in AI and information and communications technology (ICT) support projects this year.

Following the acquisition of 13,000 advanced AI semiconductors last year, NIPA plans to secure an additional 15,000 this year, focusing on AI transformation (AX) and ecosystem activation. The goal is to ensure that AI, when combined with industry, delivers tangible results such as productivity improvements. In line with the current focus on physical AI, NIPA will also actively pursue the establishment of 'Korean-style AI factory models based on physical AI' in Jeonbuk and Gyeongnam, each with a budget of approximately 1 trillion won.

President Park emphasized, "While attending CES, I also met with Korean entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, and I felt that AI is now moving beyond the technology verification stage and is becoming integrated into industry and daily life. I believe we can leverage our industrial strengths to make significant progress in the practical application of AI, and I will give it my all."

NIPA plans to select two elite Dokpamo teams by the end of this year for AI commercialization. After reaching agreements with each company to ensure there are no security issues, these teams will be tasked with applying their models to industry-specific use cases. The industry-specialized models will be developed by tuning the general-purpose Dokpamo with inference data. NIPA is also considering linking these models with domestically produced neural processing units (NPUs).

President Park added, "I will work hard to share good news such as 'increasing our market share in AI semiconductors' this year. I also ask not only the government but also major domestic demand sources, including companies, to proactively consider adopting domestic AI semiconductors."

In the early stages of the AI era, NIPA will also conduct promotional activities to raise public awareness. Park said, "To ensure the public can effectively utilize AI, policy development is important, but so is promotion. Utilizing Nuri Dream Square in Sangam-dong and hosting competitions will greatly enhance our efforts."

Regarding the selection of outstanding companies, President Park stated, "We evaluate companies as outstanding if they are listed, attract large-scale investments, or generate significant sales. Although the Dokpamo project is still in progress and may be sensitive, I believe companies like Upstage are experiencing significant growth based on their technological capabilities and the investments they have received."

He further added, "Just as the government has supported AI semiconductor companies over the long term to help them grow into unicorns, we will also create policy and financial support measures to foster growth companies in other fields."