The OECD.AI Policy Navigator

While machines replaced manual labour of humans during the industrialization in the past, artificial intelligence now is developing beyond automation to a level that can perform intelligent tasks that could only be done by humans. As AI is causing a paradigm shift not only in terms of technology but one that encompasses all sectors including humanities, Korea is preparing for the shift on national and social levels.

Korea’s Public Procurement Service is developing an AI-specific evaluation framework for public procurement to enable the safe and effective adoption of AI products and services. The initiative introduces new assessment criteria covering AI performance, reliability, transparency, and risk management, addressing the limitations of traditional procurement standards. It aims to support trustworthy AI adoption while fostering innovation and market access for AI suppliers.

South Korea's AI Basic Act was passed by the National Assembly on 26 December 2024, taking effect January 2026. It consolidates 19 bills into a national governance framework, establishing an AI Master Plan, the National AI Committee, and an AI Safety Institute, while supporting the AI industry through R&D, data infrastructure, clusters, and SME/startup assistance, and setting transparency, safety and accountability obligations for high-risk and generative AI.

Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups secured 264 B200 GPUs under the National AI Project to support SMEs and startups. Delivered free via NHN Cloud, two programmes are funded: a manufacturing project (64 GPUs) targeting production and quality control AI, and a startup incubator (200 GPUs) covering strategic AI development, industry-specific solutions, and early-stage founder support. Applications run April–May, support commences June 2025.

South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) is investing approximately KRW 1.46 trillion (around USD 1.1 billion) to procure 13,000 high-performance GPUs, distributed across three cloud service providers — Naver Cloud, NHN Cloud, and Kakao. Announced in July 2025, the initiative aims to expand domestic AI computing infrastructure, reduce reliance on overseas resources, and support AI research, large-scale model training, and national AI initiatives.