South Korea is signaling a major investment shift as it positions itself at the center of the global artificial intelligence race. President Lee Jae-myung has declared AI a “strategic industry” and indicated the government is prepared to relax long-standing restrictions that separate finance and industry, opening the door for unprecedented levels of capital deployment.
For investors, the policy shift could unlock tens of billions in new funding opportunities. Seoul plans to channel resources from its $107 billion National Growth Fund into AI infrastructure and chip development, ensuring capital flows not only to domestic giants but also to global partners and startups in the ecosystem.
The announcement came during a high-profile meeting in Seoul with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee, and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. The gathering underscored South Korea’s intent to align its industrial policy with the next wave of AI advancement.
As part of the strategy, South Korea signed an agreement with OpenAI to build large-scale AI data centers in cities such as Pohang and Jeonnam, designed to run on renewable energy. At the same time, Samsung and SK hynix committed to supplying high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips for OpenAI’s massive “Stargate Project,” which could demand up to 900,000 semiconductor wafers per month.
The moves highlight why investors are watching Korea’s semiconductor and AI ecosystem closely. Already a cornerstone of the global chip supply chain, South Korea is now doubling down with state support, regulatory flexibility, and commitments from its two largest conglomerates. For U.S. investors in AI, semiconductors, and infrastructure, this could present both direct and indirect opportunities—from chipmakers and data center developers to renewable energy providers and cloud operators.
Sam Altman praised Korea’s industrial capacity and pointed out its unusually high per-capita adoption of ChatGPT. President Lee responded that Korea intends to use its chip dominance to fuel global AI growth, urging Samsung and SK to lead the charge.
Samsung’s Jay Y. Lee emphasized the company’s role in ensuring stable semiconductor supply and in supporting a broad-based AI ecosystem that includes startups and SMEs. SK’s Chey Tae-won called the partnership “a landmark collaboration” that could position Korea among the world’s top three AI powers.
For global investors, the message is clear: South Korea is not only a reliable semiconductor hub but also a fast-emerging AI investment destination where policy, industry, and capital are converging to reshape the landscape.
