South Korean Minister of Science and ICT Yoo Sang-im delivers a congratulatory message at a local forum in Seoul on May 9, 2025. ( Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 13 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean Minister of Science and ICT Yoo Sang-im will visit the United States later this week to discuss ways to expand cooperation with Nvidia Corp. in securing advanced graphic processing units (GPUs), the ministry said Tuesday.
The announcement came during a meeting of the government-led special committee on artificial intelligence (AI) computing, which Yoo chairs.
At the meeting, the ministry also unveiled an additional budget of 1.46 trillion won (US$1.03 billion) aimed at purchasing 10,000 high-performance GPUs.
The budget will support a comprehensive plan covering procurement, infrastructure development and GPU utilization through public-private collaboration.
This follows the South Korean government’s earlier pledge to secure 10,000 advanced GPUs within this year to stay competitive in the global AI race.
As part of the first phase, the government will select a cloud service provider to begin GPU acquisition and build related infrastructure at the planned National AI Computing Center.
The program will also support local industry-academia research centers and state-funded project operators by allowing them to utilize the national data center.
“Securing advanced GPUs is the beginning of innovation in Korea’s AI ecosystem,” Yoo said. “We will work closely with both the public and private sectors to acquire GPUs within this year, support domestic AI efforts and expand computing infrastructure to enhance Korea’s AI competitiveness.”
(Yonhap)
