The government is reviewing the development of its own artificial intelligence (AI) foundation model.
Ryu Je-myeong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, said in his opening remarks at the Global AI Frontier Symposium 2026 held at the Westin Josun Seoul Parnas in Gangnam, Seoul, on the 3rd that "to independently and swiftly secure a frontier-grade AI foundation model, which is key to national security and technological sovereignty, we are reviewing forward-looking goals and bold approaches that go beyond existing competitive frameworks." In short, the government is strategically reviewing the development of its own AI foundation model.
On the 2nd, the Ministry of Science and ICT said there has been no specific decision regarding speculation that the government would use excess tax revenues from semiconductors to develop a proprietary AI model at the level of "Mythos." A Ministry of Science and ICT official said it is true the direction of the existing national AI model (proprietary foundation model) project has been comprehensively reviewed as frontier-grade AI models have become national strategic assets, but nothing has been specifically decided and discussions are at an early stage. The ministry also said there are no plans yet for a supplementary budget or for securing graphics processing units (GPUs).
Frontier AI models are cutting-edge general-purpose AI models that global big tech and major AI corporations are racing to develop. The Vice Minister noted that Anthropic's "Mythos" model released in June led even to U.S. government export controls, saying, "AI model performance is advancing at a remarkable pace."
He also focused on how AI is evolving. He said, "AI is evolving from passive intelligence that answers questions into agentic AI that combines multiple tools to take real-world actions," adding, "It is also expanding into physical AI, centered on manufacturing, logistics and mobility." He added, "The token economy phenomenon, in which the value of computing resources becomes more important, is also accelerating."
The government will push a large-scale project centered on AI infrastructure, physical AI and securing a proprietary model. The Vice Minister also noted that Korea, aiming to become one of the world's top three AI powers, increased this year's budget to 9.9 trillion won, three times last year's amount.
Expanding AI data centers is also a key task. The government plans to secure 8.4 gigawatts (GW) of data center capacity, a core AI infrastructure, by 2029 and add 10 GW by 2035.
The government also set a goal of rising to No. 1 in the world in physical AI by 2030. Along with this, it will promote the "AI for all" project so that all citizens can use AI services.
The Vice Minister said, "We will open an era in which every citizen can use AI by making AI services accessible to all," adding, "International solidarity and cooperation are needed to share the benefits AI will bring and reduce risks."