Naver Corp and Nvidia Corp will partner to build gigawatt-scale AI factories and hyperscale data centers in South Korea [1].
The collaboration marks a significant step in South Korea's push for "sovereign AI," as the nation seeks to build its own infrastructure to reduce reliance on foreign technology while meeting global demand [2].
The announcement occurred on June 7, 2026 [3]. Naver, a South Korean internet conglomerate, intends to integrate Nvidia's AI models and GPU technology to strengthen its dominance in the domestic market [1]. The project will be centered primarily in Seoul [2].
As part of the broader effort to fuel innovation and create jobs, more than 50,000 Nvidia GPUs will be deployed across the country's sovereign AI infrastructure [4]. These hardware deployments are designed to support the massive computational requirements of modern large-scale AI models.
Naver is positioning itself as the primary provider of AI services within the region. By utilizing gigawatt-scale facilities [2], the company aims to scale its operations to compete with global tech giants while maintaining a localized ecosystem for Korean businesses, and government agencies.
This infrastructure push comes as the demand for generative AI continues to grow. The scale of the proposed factories suggests a long-term commitment to high-density computing, and energy-intensive AI training processes [2].
“Naver Corp and Nvidia Corp will partner to build gigawatt-scale AI factories.”
This partnership illustrates the tension inherent in 'sovereign AI' strategies: while South Korea wants to reduce dependence on foreign software and ecosystems, it remains heavily reliant on U.S.-made hardware like Nvidia GPUs to build that independence. By securing massive compute capacity, Naver is attempting to create a high barrier to entry for other competitors in the Korean market.
