South Korea is betting big on becoming an AI superpower, and the price tag reflects it. The country’s government expects roughly 550 trillion won in private-sector investment across chips, AI data centers, batteries, displays, and electric vehicles, a figure that translates to approximately $380 billion at current exchange rates.
The bulk of that capital is coming from two corporate titans: Samsung Group and SK Group. Together, they’re planning to pour trillions of won into AI infrastructure over the next decade, a scale of investment that could reshape global semiconductor and data center markets.
Samsung’s trillion-won moonshot
Samsung Group’s commitment alone is staggering. The conglomerate plans to invest over 1,000 trillion won, roughly $648 billion, by 2026 and beyond.
More than 350 trillion won of that total is earmarked specifically for AI infrastructure, including the construction of advanced data centers. The rest flows into Samsung’s traditional strongholds: semiconductors, batteries, and display technology.
