Korean AI Services: HyperCLOVA X, Kakao, SKT, Exaone — 2026-09-05
South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) officially selected SK Telecom, Kakao, and KT as the operators of the "AI for All" national project, aiming to provide free AI services to all citizens by year-end. Simultaneously, Naver Cloud was chosen to lead a separate consortium developing a specialized cybersecurity AI foundation model, marking a strategic divergence in Korea's sovereign AI development.
Korean AI Services: HyperCLOVA X, Kakao, SKT, Exaone — 2026-09-05
Top developments
SKT, Kakao, and KT Selected for "AI for All" National Project
On August 28, the MSIT announced the selection of three consortia led by SK Telecom (SKT), KT, and Kakao to operate the "AI for All" project. The initiative aims to provide free agentic AI services to all Korean citizens through messengers and text platforms by the end of 2026. The government targets 10 million monthly users per platform within a year of launch, with a broader goal of reaching 30 million users by 2030. This move is designed to bridge the AI adoption gap among all citizens, leveraging the existing infrastructure of major telecoms and tech giants.
Naver Cloud Leads Cybersecurity AI Foundation Model Development
In a separate development on September 3, the MSIT selected a Naver Cloud-led consortium to develop a cybersecurity-specialized AI foundation model. This project will receive conditional support of 256 Nvidia B200 GPUs over a 10-month period starting September 2026. Naver Cloud beat out a competing SKT consortium for this contract, which is part of the government’s broader sovereign AI strategy to reduce reliance on foreign models for critical security infrastructure. The consortium includes partners such as LG CNS and KEPCO KDN.
Sovereign AI Tournament Narrows to Three Finalists
The competition for the general-purpose national AI foundation model has narrowed to three teams: LG AI Research, SK Telecom, and Upstage. Motif Technologies was eliminated in the second phase due to poor usability scores. The surviving teams will compete in a third phase where they will receive expanded access to high-performance Nvidia GPUs, with approximately 1,000 units allocated for the second half of 2026 under a budget of roughly 120 billion KRW ($90 million). The final two teams will be determined in this upcoming evaluation, shaping Korea’s long-term sovereign AI landscape.
Local view
Aju Press reports that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon attended meetings with the selected consortiums, emphasizing the urgency of launching the "Everyone’s Free AI" service within the year. The local press highlights the shift towards an era of "One Person, Multiple Agents," where citizens will interact with various specialized AI agents rather than a single monolithic chatbot.
Seoul Economic Daily notes that while ChatGPT still leads in Monthly Active Users (MAU) with over 21 million, local apps like Zeta are showing strong growth with 3.36 million MAU, particularly among younger demographics. The success of the new "AI for All" services will depend on their ability to retain these users against global competitors.
Context & numbers
- User Targets: The "AI for All" project aims for 10 million monthly users per platform within one year of launch, scaling to 30 million total by 2030.
- GPU Support: The cybersecurity AI project receives 256 Nvidia B200 GPUs. The general-purpose sovereign AI teams receive ~1,000 high-performance GPUs in H2 2026.
- Budget: The Ministry of Science and ICT’s 2026 AI budget is approximately $3.5 billion, a 30% increase year-over-year. The National Growth Fund has allocated roughly $5.7 billion toward the sovereign AI stack.
On the radar
- Third Phase Evaluation: The final two teams for the general-purpose sovereign AI model will be decided soon, with LG AI Research, SKT, and Upstage competing for the last spots.
- Service Launch Timeline: The government insists on a launch of the "AI for All" services by the end of 2026. Watch for early beta releases or pilot programs from SKT, Kakao, and KT in Q4.
- Naver’s Strategic Pivot: Having sat out the "AI for All" bidding, Naver is focusing heavily on its AI Factory infrastructure and the cybersecurity niche. Analysts are watching how this specialization impacts its competitive position against the telecom-led consumer AI push.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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