"Korea Will Become One of the Top Three AI Powerhouses"—Intel Opens Pop-up Store in Seoul [Today's IT Item]

"We believe the United States, China, and Korea will be the three main hubs for future AI. Korea also has the highest proportion of AI PCs among global consumer markets."
According to industry sources on the 29th, Greg Ernst, Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer at Intel, stated at a press conference held at the Intel Seoul Pop-up Store on the first floor of Opus 407 near Gangnam Station in Seoul on the previous day, "Korea is the innovation hub of the Asia-Pacific PC market."
The Intel Pop-up Store is part of a month-long showcase taking place in five major cities worldwide—New York, London, Munich, Paris, and Seoul. In Asia, Seoul’s Gangnam district is the only location to host this event.

Intel is running the pop-up store in collaboration with global partners such as Samsung, LG, Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, MSI, and Microsoft, as well as major domestic distribution channels including Coupang, Gmarket, and Naver Shopping. Visitors can experience new AI PC features and applications powered by Intel AI all in one place.
Hans Chuang, Head of Sales and Marketing Group for Asia Pacific at Intel, remarked, "Korea is a very important market for Intel and is playing an increasingly pivotal role in the global AI industry. Korea is always among the fastest to adopt the latest technologies, and Intel is committed to being Korea’s trusted innovation partner."

Greg Ernst introduced the Intel Pop-up Store program and shared strategies for client products, including the latest Intel Core Ultra series. Since launching AI PCs in 2023, Intel has collaborated with more than 350 independent software vendors (ISVs) to present over 500 AI features.
Ernst noted, "The Core Ultra Series 2, currently available on the market, has the highest adoption rate in Korea. Intel-based AI PCs account for about 40% of sales at major Korean retailers." He added that for the newly announced Core Ultra Series 3, also known as Panther Lake, "Unlike other markets, the sales embargo for the Core Ultra Series 3 will be lifted in Korea, and the entire lineup will be available by the end of January. Because January to March is a peak season unique to Korea, we have adjusted our launch schedule accordingly."

During the Intel Partner Session, which followed an introduction of partner companies by Bae Tae-won, President of Intel Korea, Upstage, GGQ, and Hancom shared AI PC applications and use cases. Hongjun Choi, Vice President of Upstage, presented an on-device AI implementation using the Solar Large Language Model (Solar LLM) that enhances productivity without cloud connectivity. Lee Yong-su, CEO of GGQ, introduced an AI coaching service for gaming. Kim Yeonsu, CEO of Hancom, demonstrated the AI-based document creation tool 'Hancom Assistant' and showcased 'Assistant Edge,' an on-device AI currently being developed in partnership with Intel and LG.
solidkjy@fnnews.com Gu Ja-yoon Reporter