Ministry of Science and ICT Launches Dedicated Regional AX Task Force in All-Out Push for Three Mega-Projects

[Financial News] The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) will launch the Regional AI Transformation Task Force under its AI Policy Office, a core organization responsible for planning and implementing national artificial intelligence (AI) policies. The new task force will spearhead policies to foster regional AI transformation (AX) hubs linked to the government's three mega-projects. Key regional AX initiatives, including the National AI Computing Center in Jeonnam-Gwangju and Physical AI projects in other regions, are expected to gain further momentum.
According to industry sources on the 29th, MSIT will establish the Regional AI Transformation Task Force directly under the Director-General for AI Policy Planning. To ensure continuity, the Chungcheong, Gangwon and Jeju regions will continue to be overseen by the Director-General for Software Policy as before. The new task force will oversee major regional AX projects, including the National AI Computing Center project being built in Jeonnam-Gwangju and the development of Physical AI infrastructure in North Jeolla Province, North Gyeongsang Province and South Gyeongsang Province.
Its key responsibilities will include establishing strategies and policies to support regional AI transformation; planning and carrying out research and development projects and supporting technology development for regional AI transformation; and building the ecosystem through talent development and the expansion of AI-related culture. Personnel exchanged with Jeonnam-Gwangju and staff responsible for AX within the AI Policy Office will be redeployed, bringing the new task force's total staff to seven. The task force will begin operations on the 8th of next month and will operate until September 30, 2027, after which the government will consider whether to extend it.
The launch of a dedicated regional AX task force is seen as a sign of MSIT's determination to accelerate the three mega-projects. Centered on semiconductors, Physical AI and AI data centers, the three mega-projects are a large-scale national growth strategy involving an investment of more than 1,500 trillion won.
The National AI Computing Center is a prime example. It is under construction at the Solaseado Data Center Park site in Haenam County, Jeonnam-Gwangju, with completion targeted for 2028. The center is a key national AI infrastructure project that will deploy 15,000 cutting-edge AI semiconductors. MSIT is actively considering policy support, including linking demand and securing funding, to ensure the center's smooth initial operation. Once completed, the center will provide world-class AI computing infrastructure that industry, academia and research institutions can use at reasonable prices. Starting in 2027, before the center is completed, some of the AI computing resources planned for it will be offered early as a service through Samsung SDS's data center. The plan is to proactively address the urgent demand for AI computing infrastructure from industry, academia and research institutions.
The Physical AI research and development projects based in North Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province, both manufacturing powerhouses, are also expected to gain momentum. The government plans to secure technological sovereignty in next-generation Physical AI through large-scale national research and development projects totaling 1.4131 trillion won through 2030, including 676.3 billion won in South Gyeongsang Province and 736.8 billion won in North Jeolla Province. The goal is to secure core Physical AI technologies that use real-world data to train and validate AI models and connect them to the autonomous control of physical systems such as sensors, equipment and robots.
An industry official said, "The launch of an organization dedicated to regional AX transformation will lead to an even faster push for the three mega-projects."


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