Korea’s Sovereign AI Ambitions Spur New Investment Vehicle from Samsung Asset Management (Image supported by ChatGPT)
SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Asset Management said Monday it will launch a new exchange-traded fund (ETF) that invests in companies participating in South Korea’s national “Sovereign AI” project, underscoring growing investor confidence in the country’s bid to develop its own artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The KODEX Korea Sovereign AI ETF, set to debut on Tuesday, will target firms involved in the government-led initiative to create AI systems independent of foreign technology or data.
The project — part of Seoul’s broader effort to secure technological sovereignty in the AI race — envisions investments worth 100 trillion won (US$72 billion) across data centers, cloud infrastructure, and human capital.
“Nation-led sovereign AI is already becoming a global movement, and we expect it to be a core industrial sector,” said Lim Tae-hyuk, head of ETF management at Samsung Asset Management. “This fund offers investors a direct way to gain exposure to Korea’s flagship AI companies as the market expands.”
The ETF’s portfolio will include major listed participants in the government’s AI program such as Naver and NCSoft, as well as firms supplying underlying technologies — from AI chips to power infrastructure. Key holdings will feature SK hynix (semiconductors), LG CNS (AI infrastructure and cloud services), and Doosan Enerbility (energy systems).
A view of Samsung Asset Management’s headquarters at Samsung Town in Seocho-dong, Seoul. (Image courtesy of Samsung Asset Management)
During the fund’s launch event at the Westin Josun Hotel in Seoul, Samsung’s research center chief Oh Seung-hoon said the domestic market is structurally well-positioned to benefit from the global AI cycle.
“When you combine technology, telecommunications, and industrial power equipment, those sectors already make up nearly half of Korea’s total market capitalization,” he said. “AI is not a short-term theme — it’s a multi-year structural transformation.”
Jung Joo-hwan, director of Naver Cloud’s AX Lab, said the company’s “Omni” model — designed to interpret images and video data alongside text — reflects a new generation of AI that will permeate everyday services beyond simple chatbot functions.
Samsung Asset Management, Korea’s largest ETF operator, recently became the nation’s first firm to surpass 100 trillion won in total ETF assets under management. The new product marks its first launch since crossing that milestone.
“This is our symbolic first step toward the next leap,” Lim said. “The next market leaders will be those that expand earnings through technological innovation — and the Korea Sovereign AI ETF is positioned to capture that growth as the nation moves toward the ‘KOSPI 5,000 era.’”
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
