President Yoon Suk Yeol announced on July 24 that South Korea aims to become a global hub for artificial intelligence (AI) production and an indispensable platform for global cooperation in technology, capital, talent, and ideas.
Starting at the end of this year, the 'Everyone's AI' project will be launched, involving all 50 million citizens to integrate AI into public services, welfare, education, and daily life, positioning South Korea as the most dynamic AI market and a global testbed.
President Yoon made this announcement during the 'AI Summit' held in San Francisco, where he unveiled the 'San Francisco AI Declaration.'
He outlined four visions for South Korea: to be a key player in the global AI supply chain, a global testbed for the effective use of AI, a hub for expanding the global AI market, and to establish a responsible and human-centered 'AI Basic Society.'
“I want to share South Korea's vision for a new era of AI with the world from San Francisco, the heart of global innovation,” President Yoon said. “We aspire to present a future AI vision and collaborate with the world to create a better future for humanity.”
He emphasized the similarities between San Francisco and South Korea, noting that just as San Francisco rose from the ruins of the 1906 earthquake to become a center of technological innovation, South Korea transformed from a war-torn nation into a leading IT powerhouse driving the global AI ecosystem.
President Yoon highlighted the success of Samsung Electronics, which entered the semiconductor industry as a latecomer and grew to lead the global memory semiconductor market, and SK Hynix, which recently went public on NASDAQ after becoming a leader in high-bandwidth memory (HBM).
He also mentioned a significant investment of approximately 470 trillion won announced in June, aimed at propelling South Korea's economy and the global AI industry. “Today, I want to announce a large-scale AI investment initiative prepared by South Korea and global companies, with a combined corporate value exceeding 2,000 trillion won,” he stated.
President Yoon assessed that the nature of AI competition has shifted from merely developing software algorithms to securing computing resources, stable energy, data, and the ability to apply these in industrial settings.
“Even the world's best AI models cannot operate without a stable supply of advanced semiconductors, and no matter how excellent the semiconductors are, they require the massive demand from AI to create new value,” he emphasized, highlighting the interconnectedness of technology, production capacity, data, energy, markets, and talent.
As the first vision, he proposed becoming a key country in the indispensable global AI supply chain, aiming to be a reliable production base and supply chain partner for AI semiconductors based on world-class memory semiconductor competitiveness and production capacity.
“We will ensure that companies worldwide can build AI infrastructure reliably and continue technological innovation under any circumstances,” he said, explaining that South Korea is transitioning to a multi-polar production base system that shares semiconductor supply responsibilities between the capital region and local areas.
He added, “This is a national-level safety measure for semiconductor production during any crisis and a responsible investment by South Korea to prevent global semiconductor shortages,” stating the goal of establishing a global AI hub that reliably supplies essential infrastructure needed for the global ecosystem by connecting semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI.
As the second vision, he expressed the ambition to create new markets by utilizing AI most quickly and effectively. By combining South Korea's manufacturing competitiveness, digital infrastructure, and high technology acceptance, he plans to ensure that AI operates in manufacturing plants, cities, and logistics sites, beyond just laboratories and digital spaces.
“South Korea will rapidly spread AI across industrial sites, public services, and daily life, creating new demand and markets,” he asserted, emphasizing the goal of becoming a global AI testbed and production platform.
The government plans to quickly develop and validate new technologies within South Korea's AI production platform, applying accumulated data to enhance AI performance and reliability, creating a virtuous cycle where advanced AI improves industrial productivity and citizens' lives.
In particular, he stated, “We plan to fully launch the 'Everyone's AI' project involving all 50 million citizens by the end of this year,” aiming to actively utilize AI in public services such as administration, welfare, and education to create the world's most dynamic AI market.
President Yoon urged global companies to choose South Korea as a stage for innovation and investment, where they can quickly realize their technologies and ideas, assuring them that South Korean citizens and businesses will be their most reliable partners.
The third vision is to build a global hub that expands the world AI market. This involves establishing horizontal cooperation networks with various countries beyond partnerships with technology-leading nations and supporting developing countries in creating their own AI services and markets.
“Support for developing countries should not merely aim to reduce the AI gap,” he said. “It should be an investment for the shared prosperity of a global AI ecosystem where new talent, ideas, services, and markets are born.”
He also introduced the 'Global AI Hub Initiative' being pursued with international organizations under the vision of 'AI for Everyone, AI for Solving Humanity's Challenges.' This initiative aims to expand cooperation between countries and companies to develop AI suited to the languages, cultures, and industrial environments of various nations using South Korea's AI infrastructure and technological capabilities.
Finally, he stated the goal of creating an era where AI develops responsibly and human-centered, providing new opportunities for all. Based on the AI Basic Act implemented in January, he aims to ensure that safe and reliable AI operates within industries and citizens' lives.
“While maintaining the dynamism of innovation, we are considering new distribution models to ensure that the benefits of AI do not remain with specific groups but are spread throughout society,” he noted, emphasizing that the future of AI cannot be completed solely through technological advancement and economic outcomes.
He added, “In the AI era, we will ensure that all citizens are better guaranteed basic rights such as education and healthcare, creating a society where no one is left behind, including small and medium-sized enterprises, small business owners, and vulnerable groups,” defining this as an 'AI Basic Society.'
President Yoon reiterated, “South Korea will leap forward as a global AI production base and a platform for innovation, connecting the world's technology, capital, talent, and ideas.”
He also referenced the Golden Gate Bridge, a symbol of San Francisco, urging global companies to become bridges of cooperation that connect the world, just as the bridge connects the city and the sea.
Quoting the theme song from the American sitcom 'Friends,' he said, “I will be there for you, because you’ll be there for me too.”
“When we come together, AI can bring hope to more people and create a larger, brighter future,” he urged the international community to join in.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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