The National AI Computing Center, a key government strategic project, officially broke ground in Haenam Solar City, South Jeolla Province, marking a significant step in establishing South Korea's artificial intelligence (AI) industry infrastructure.
On August 3, Haenam County held a groundbreaking ceremony at the Solar City Data Center Park, launching a large-scale AI infrastructure project aimed for completion by 2028.
This groundbreaking is particularly significant as it represents the first project to enter the execution phase among the government's three mega-projects in AI, semiconductors, and robotics. It is seen as a crucial national infrastructure supporting the government's strategy to become one of the top three AI nations.
Attendees at the ceremony included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Baek Kyung-hun, Gwangju Mayor Min Hyung-bae, Haenam County Mayor Myung Hyun-gwan, Yeongam County Mayor Woo Seung-hee, and several members of the National Assembly, along with local officials and representatives from private enterprises, totaling over 200 participants.
The event featured the declaration of the National AI Computing Center's vision and a ceremonial groundbreaking blast, signaling the official start of the project.
Minister Baek stated, "We will build a global AI infrastructure hub centered around the National AI Computing Center by securing advanced GPUs and fostering a domestic AI semiconductor ecosystem. I expect the Solar City Data Center Park to grow into a key hub for national balanced development and future industries."
The National AI Computing Center is a national project with a total budget of 2.4065 trillion won. It plans to establish 15,000 high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) by 2028, with a phased expansion to 50,000 GPUs by 2030.
The center will be built on a 48,996 square meter site within the Haenam Solar City Data Center Park, featuring a total floor area of 16,978 square meters across two stories. Initially, it will be constructed to support 40 megawatts, with plans to expand to an 80-megawatt AI-specialized data center.
Once completed, the center will serve as a national AI computing hub supporting the development and research of ultra-large AI models. It is expected to operate as an open platform for joint use by academia, industry, and research institutions, facilitating both research and industrialization.
Before the center's completion in 2027, some AI computing resources from the Samsung SDS data center will be made available to respond proactively to the AI development needs of research institutions and companies.
The project gained momentum last October when a consortium led by Samsung SDS was selected as the preferred bidder. The consortium includes Samsung SDS, Naver Cloud, Samsung C&T, Kakao, Samsung Electronics, KT, Clush, Gwangju Metropolitan City, and the Southwest Coast Enterprise City Development. In June, a public-private joint special purpose company, the Korea AI Computing Center (KOACC), was established to oversee the project's implementation and operation.
The government and participating organizations anticipate that the center's construction will create approximately 20,000 jobs and generate over 6 trillion won in economic ripple effects.
Additionally, Samsung plans to gradually develop an AI data center cluster worth about 17 trillion won in the Solar City area, which will include the National AI Computing Center. Once completed, it is expected to become the largest AI industry cluster in the country, contributing to the growth of the domestic AI semiconductor industry and enhancing research and development competitiveness.
Haenam County has supported the project by leveraging its competitive location, which offers large industrial sites, abundant renewable energy, and stable power and water supply, while also expediting administrative processes for permits.
Looking ahead, the plan is to create an advanced industrial ecosystem that integrates cloud and digital service industries centered around the AI data center, while also fostering a RE100 national industrial complex and renewable energy-based industries, aiming to develop a future industrial city where AI and energy converge.
Mayor Myung Hyun-gwan remarked, "The groundbreaking of the National AI Computing Center marks a historic starting point for South Korea's AI national strategy, which has officially begun in Haenam. We will work closely with the government and relevant agencies to successfully advance the project and develop Haenam into a key hub for South Korea's AI industry."
Meanwhile, the National AI Computing Center is expected to serve as a core infrastructure for the government's policy to enhance national AI competitiveness, providing an open AI computing infrastructure for joint use by research institutions, universities, and companies, thereby driving improvements in domestic AI technology competitiveness and expanding the industrial ecosystem.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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