South Korea’s hot new sensation is 3S+1F – a quadrillion-Won AI plan, not a band

AI AND ML

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Seoul plans to spend about $900 billion to become K-semiconductor powerhouse

The government of South Korea and local tech giants yesterday announced over ₩1 quadrillion of investment related to AI – or about $900 billion – that it says will see the country emerge a “K-Semiconductor powerhouse” and a global leader in robotics and AI.

The plan is called “3S+1F”, shorthand for Speedily building fabs in regional hubs called “Strongholds”, while aiming to Spearhead innovation in new forms of semiconductors that are needed by growing markets – and getting it done with Full support from government and industry.

The nation also plans to grow a robotics industry ASAP, to give itself the chance of rivalling China as the world’s unchallenged centre for clankers. Planned investments to make that happen include building Physical AI models – to do for movement what LLMs do for text.

Underpinning it all will be datacenters with combined capacity of 18.4GW, all to be built by 2035 and made possible by massive investments in clean energy generation and a grid that moves electrons so efficiently it will literally and metaphorically electrify the South Korean economy.

President Lee Jae-myung said the plan will see South Korea build the industrial base needed for AI faster than any other country and spread wealth beyond Seoul. He therefore pitched the plan as both social and economic policy.

Local tech giants SK Hynix and Samsung are part of the plan, as both committed to spending vast sums on new fabs. LG and Hyundai will also invest.

South Korea’s announcement of the plan uses the rather Chinese phrase “great leap forward” several times. That’s ironic given the Korean scheme is partly intended to ensure the country can compete with China – and to do so with local factories instead of the nation’s tech giants investing in the Middle Kingdom.

K-Chip Import Slayers, anyone? ®