Korea draws record $2 bil. foreign investment pledges in AI, semiconductors

Korea secured a record $2 billion in foreign investment pledges from seven global companies, primarily in semiconductors, advanced materials and energy industry, as the government seeks to position the country as a key investment destination amid growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and advanced manufacturing.

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) said the pledges were announced at its annual Invest Korea Summit 2026, a three-day investment promotion event jointly hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, which opened in Seoul on Wednesday.

The event brought together 267 foreign investors and companies, along with around 2,000 business officials globally.

The investment commitments mark the largest amount ever secured at the annual summit in its 22-year history, with about 97 percent of the pledged funds earmarked for regions outside the Seoul metropolitan area.

"The record-high investment pledges demonstrate global companies' confidence in the Korean economy," KOTRA President and CEO Kang Kyung-sung said.

"Korea, with its solid manufacturing base, abundant industrial data, and transparent and predictable investment environment, is an attractive investment destination for the AI transformation of manufacturing. We will expand our economic territory by connecting foreign investment with industrial and regional growth and expanding global cooperation.”

The projects span the broader semiconductor and AI infrastructure ecosystem, from chip manufacturing and advanced packaging to data centers and power generation.

Among the major investors, France's leading gas supplier Air Liquide will invest in facilities to produce specialty gases used in semiconductor manufacturing, while U.S.-based Amkor Technology, the world's second-largest semiconductor assembly and testing company, plans to expand its advanced packaging plant in Gwangju.

Germany's Henkel will establish a research and development center for advanced packaging materials used in high-bandwidth memory chips, strengthening its collaboration with Korean semiconductor companies.

Other investment projects include a semiconductor equipment and materials manufacturing facility by Japan's Tokyo Electron, an AI data center by U.K.-based AI infrastructure company Nscale and renewable energy generation projects by Singapore's Gurin Energy and Norway's Deep Wind Offshore.

The summit’s main international conference brought together executives from companies including Amazon Web Services Korea, Deep Wind Offshore and Dexterity to discuss investment opportunities arising from AI adoption, data center expansion and demand for stable, clean energy.

Panelists also discussed how Korea's advanced manufacturing capabilities could complement emerging physical AI technologies, while outlining new business opportunities arising from the government-led megaprojects and potential areas for cooperation between Korean and foreign companies.

This year's summit also focused on attracting foreign investment to regions outside the Seoul metropolitan area, where many of the major projects are expected to be located.

A record 11 local governments participated in an investment promotion forum, presenting their regional growth strategies, investment projects and incentives to attract foreign companies.