Deputy Prime Minister Bae Kyung-hoon: "200,000 GPUs to Be Secured Within 5 Years... AI to Be Applied Throughout the Entire R&D Process"

[Financial News] Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT (MSIT) Bae Kyung-hoon emphasized the goal of making Korea one of the top three nations in Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the 13th. He announced, "We will secure 200,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) by 2030," and added, "AI will be introduced throughout the entire Research and Development (R&D) process and applied to R&D investments as well."
In his opening remarks at the audit held at Government Complex Sejong, Bae stated, "The government is doing its utmost to overcome the challenges of low growth and global technological hegemony through advanced science and technology such as AI, and to realize a Korea where all citizens prosper together."
Bae first stressed the importance of building a robust AI ecosystem to become a global top-three AI powerhouse. He said, "We will achieve our goal of establishing 50,000 GPUs by 2028, ahead of schedule." The plan is to mobilize public and private capabilities to secure 200,000 GPUs by 2030.
He explained, "Based on this AI Highway infrastructure, we will nurture world-class technologies and talent, and spread independently developed AI models throughout the economy and society."
He continued, "We will complete an AI Basic Society where everyone benefits, revise the AI Legal Framework to promote industry, and build a safe and trustworthy AI ecosystem." To this end, the 2026 budget for AI will be set at 10.1 trillion won, three times larger than the previous year.
He added, "We will establish a sustainable growth foundation based on basic science and science and technology talent, and transform the research and development paradigm by integrating AI into every stage of R&D, thereby advancing Korea's scientific and technological competitiveness."
Plans are also in place to strengthen Korea’s lead in key areas such as semiconductors, displays, and rechargeable batteries, and to invest in securing future markets in fields like Advanced Biotechnology, quantum, and nuclear fusion.
He also mentioned the need to innovate the research and development ecosystem to restore the research environment and achieve science and technology-driven growth.
Bae stated, "We will expand R&D investment to realize technology-driven and inclusive growth. To this end, the government has allocated a record 35.3 trillion won for the 2026 R&D budget. We will improve systems and institutions to focus on researchers, and reform the performance evaluation system by abolishing the Project-Based System (PBS) so that government-funded research institutes can fulfill national missions."
In particular, the plan is to apply AI to R&D investments to dramatically enhance efficiency and expertise.
Minister Bae also said, "We will strengthen digital safety and support for people's livelihoods. Without a solid digital safety system, becoming a top-three AI nation is impossible. We will mobilize all possible means to establish fundamental measures to prevent recurrence."
Regarding this, he added, "I feel a heavy sense of responsibility regarding the recent series of large-scale hacking incidents. I also apologize for the inconvenience caused to the public in postal and financial services due to the fire at the National Information Resources Service."
jiany@fnnews.com Yeon Ji-an Reporter