🔋 Mega-Invest: Samsung plans to pour USD 310 billion into Korea over five years to push the country to the front of the global AI race.
🏭 The centerpiece: a new chip fab, Pyeongtaek Plant 5, launching in 2028 and massively strengthening Korea’s position in memory chips and AI-server production.
🧠 AI Infrastructure: Samsung SDS is building two new AI data centers in South Jeolla and Gumi. Goal: proprietary models, proprietary GPU capacity, and a domestic compute backbone.
🏭 Home-Turf Push: Seoul wants its champions to invest at home. Hyundai is adding 125.2 trillion won (~USD 86.5 billion) through 2030:
50.5 trillion won (~USD 34.9 billion) for AI, autonomous tech, and EV factories
48.4 trillion won (~USD 33.4 billion) for R&D and upgrading production
Together, this forms a national re-industrialization package aimed at keeping value creation — and jobs — inside the country.
📈 New Deal Lever: Samsung has also created its first dedicated M&A team. Expect new acquisitions in AI, semiconductors, and automotive tech — plus the sale of non-core units.
Alongside Korea’s future ambitions, countries like Vietnam, and especially Japan are also hitting the accelerator. Vietnam alone plans to invest USD 3.8 billion in 2026 for digital infrastructure and AI. Japan’s SoftBank is pouring USD 500 billion into its Stargate project and robotics.
For comparison:
Germany announced that over an entire legislative period, EUR 18 billion will be allocated across six high-tech sectors.
Sources: BusinessTimes SG, Yonhap News, Nikkei
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