South Korea Plans to Procure 10,000 High-Performance GPUs in 2025
As the global artificial intelligence (AI) race intensifies, South Korea is ramping up efforts to strengthen its AI capabilities by planning a large-scale procurement of 10,000 high-performance GPUs (graphics processing units) in 2025.
Accelerating AI Development Amid Global Competition
As the global artificial intelligence (AI) race intensifies, South Korea is ramping up efforts to strengthen its AI capabilities by planning a large-scale procurement of 10,000 high-performance GPUs (graphics processing units) in 2025.
According to a statement from South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, the AI battle has evolved from competition among corporations to a full-scale rivalry between national innovation ecosystems. To stay competitive in AI infrastructure, South Korea aims to acquire GPUs through a public-private collaboration model.
Unclear GPU Models, Final Decisions Expected by September
While South Korea has not yet disclosed which GPU models will be purchased, the government has confirmed that specific details—including the budget, procurement timeline, and private sector involvement—will be finalized by September 2025.
A spokesperson from South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT stated that officials are carefully evaluating their options, considering factors such as performance, power efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
South Korea’s AI Ambitions and GPU Demand
The demand for high-performance GPUs has surged due to the growing reliance on AI models, particularly in machine learning, cloud computing, and generative AI applications.
Key Drivers Behind South Korea’s AI Expansion
Government-Led AI Infrastructure Development
The South Korean government has actively supported AI research and development through policy initiatives and funding programs.
The Digital New Deal 3.0 focuses on expanding AI infrastructure, supercomputing, and semiconductor research.
Strengthening Local AI Ecosystem
South Korea aims to reduce reliance on foreign technology by fostering homegrown AI models, data centers, and semiconductor manufacturing.
Leading Korean tech giants such as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Naver are investing in AI-driven innovations and GPU-based computing.
Increasing Competition from Global Tech Leaders
The U.S., China, and Europe are making aggressive investments in AI infrastructure, pushing South Korea to accelerate its own GPU acquisition.
China’s restrictions on NVIDIA chip imports have led to a GPU shortage, making early procurement critical for ensuring AI computational power.
Which GPUs Will South Korea Procure?
The South Korean government has not yet confirmed specific GPU models, but potential candidates include:
NVIDIA H100 or GB200 Superchips – The gold standard for AI training and inference in high-performance data centers.
AMD Instinct MI300X – A competitor to NVIDIA’s GPUs, offering high memory bandwidth and optimized AI workloads.
Intel Gaudi 2 or Gaudi 3 – Intel’s AI accelerators, designed as cost-effective alternatives to NVIDIA GPUs.
Samsung’s In-House AI Chips – As Samsung develops its custom AI accelerators, these could be integrated into the AI infrastructure roadmap.
Challenges in GPU Procurement and AI Infrastructure
Despite its AI ambitions, South Korea faces several challenges in securing 10,000 high-performance GPUs:
Global GPU Shortage: High demand from AI companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta has caused supply chain constraints for NVIDIA and AMD products.
Geopolitical Factors: U.S. export controls on AI chips may limit South Korea’s access to advanced AI hardware from China and other regions.
Cost and Power Consumption: Running high-end AI GPUs requires significant energy resources, prompting concerns about sustainability and data center efficiency.
South Korea’s AI Future: Strengthening Global Competitiveness
South Korea’s push for 10,000 high-performance GPUs is part of a broader strategy to establish itself as a global AI powerhouse.
By September 2025, the country will finalize its GPU acquisition plans, ensuring that government agencies, research institutions, and private sector companies have the computational resources needed to advance AI innovation.
With strong investments in AI semiconductors, cloud computing, and machine learning, South Korea is positioning itself to compete with AI giants like the U.S. and China.
