The South Korean government is considering extending its sovereign AI core GPU guarantee program, with next year's budget estimated to reach up to 4 trillion Korean won.

Odaily reports that the South Korean government is considering extending its AI core resource GPU assurance support program. On July 7, according to industry sources, the Ministry of Science and ICT is investigating the ability of major South Korean cloud service providers to build additional GPU infrastructure, with the aim of prolonging the "AI Computing Resource Utilization Foundation Enhancement Program." The core of the project involves the government allocating funds to purchase GPUs, deploying them in cloud service provider data centers, and supporting use by industry, academia, and research. Last year, the South Korean government invested approximately KRW 1 trillion in the project; this year, it increased investment to KRW 2 trillion, securing over 20,000 GPUs. Although the program was initially set to end this year, demand for advanced resources such as NVIDIA's next-generation GPU Vera Rubin has surged, prompting the government to formulate comprehensive measures including data center efficiency optimization and plans to secure new installation spaces. It is reportedly applying to the Budget and Planning Department for a "limited extra budget" dedicated to GPU assurance. Industry estimates suggest the budget for next year could reach as high as KRW 4 trillion, considering the current GPU assurance funding and government commitment. Industry opinion indicates that "installation space" for the equipment, rather than GPU supply itself, will be the key to the project's success or failure, as thousands of high-performance GPUs operating simultaneously require substantial power supplies and advanced cooling systems, and the installation spaces held by South Korean companies are nearing saturation. (ETNews Electronics).