Which Korean companies are launching AI services under the AI for All project?

Three consortia led by SK Telecom, KT and Kakao are set to launch closed beta versions of their AI services in October. The services were developed under the government-led AI for All project.

Why is the Korean government pushing the AI for All project?

The project was launched to give all citizens access to AI and to reduce Korea’s dependence on foreign AI models. It also aims to support the domestic AI sector through funding and GPU support.

What targets and government support are attached to the AI service rollout?

The teams aim for 5 million monthly active users, and Kakao wants to grow that to 10 million by 2027 and 30 million by 2030. The government plans to add 250 billion won from next year and support the project with about 2,000 GPUs.

Korean firms to unveil AI service developed under gov't project: sources

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Summary

Three Korean tech-led consortia will unveil AI services developed under the government’s AI for All project within October, with SK Telecom, KT and Kakao leading the teams. The project aims to give all citizens access to AI while reducing Korea’s reliance on foreign models. Developers must use domestic AI models for at least half of the service, and the government is backing the rollout with funding and GPU support.

Key Facts

The government’s AI for All project was unveiled in July to broaden public access to AI and strengthen the domestic AI sector.
Developers are required to use domestic AI models for at least 50 percent of the offered AI services.
Korea plans to inject an additional 250 billion won starting next year and secure about 2,000 GPUs for the project.
The companies behind the services have set a monthly active user target of 5 million, while Kakao plans to expand that to 10 million by 2027 and 30 million by 2030.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said 23 million people in Korea have used generative AI models so far, including 21 million users of free lower-tier models.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 1, 2026 4:23 pm KST

Officials from the Ministry of Science and ICT and local tech companies pose for a photo at a roundtable event on the government-led artificial intelligence (AI) service project held in Seoul, Sept. 4. Courtesy of Ministry of Science and ICT

Three consortia led by Korean tech companies will unveil their artificial intelligence (AI) services developed under a government-led project within this month to provide all citizens with access to AI, government and industry sources said Thursday.

The three teams — led by SK Telecom, KT and Kakao, respectively — are set to launch a closed beta version of their AI services sometime in October, the sources added.

The government's "AI for All" project unveiled in July came amid efforts to lower Korea's dependence on foreign AI models and boost the domestic AI sector. Developers are required to use domestic AI models for at least 50 percent of the offered AI services, with government funding and graphic processing unit (GPU) support.

Developers have set a monthly active user target of 5 million for their envisioned services, with Kakao vowing to expand the figure to 10 million by 2027 and 30 million by 2030.

Korea plans to inject an additional 250 billion won ($184.37 million), starting next year, to further advance the services, which include costs to secure some 2,000 GPUs.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, some 23 million people in Korea have used generative AI models so far, with most of the generative AI users, or 21 million, using free lower-tier models.

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