South Korea to widen AI model project into frontier AI and industry tracks
Version 2: A business outlet adds that the three remaining Dokpamo participants are relieved the project is continuing but are waiting for the ministry's detailed plan on incentives, resource allocation and the special purpose company before deciding whether to join the frontier AI track; no new figures or decisions were announced.
In short
South Korea's science ministry said its independent AI foundation model project, Dokpamo, is not being halted but reorganized into two tracks: developing top-tier frontier AI models and widening industrial use of domestic models. About 4.7 trillion won is earmarked in next year's budget for the frontier track, including 10,000 Nvidia Vera Rubin GPUs. Bidding starts once parliament approves the budget in December, with equity recipients chosen as early as February, while the existing Dokpamo competition still picks its final two teams around mid-February.
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South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT said it will reorganize its independent AI foundation model project, known as Dokpamo, into two tracks: development of top-tier frontier AI models and broader use of domestically built models in industry and the public sector. At a briefing at the National Information Society Agency's Seoul office on October 2, Second Vice Minister Ryu Je-myung said the project is not being halted or absorbed but evolving toward higher targets, according to Yonhap, ZDNet Korea, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Hankook Ilbo. Asia Economy reported the same plan. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
About 4.7 trillion won is earmarked for the frontier AI project in next year's budget; Electronic Times put the government proposal figure at 4.6627 trillion won. The ministry's breakdown is 3.9 trillion won for 10,000 Nvidia Vera Rubin GPUs, 800 billion won for AI training data and 25 billion won to attract 20 top-level overseas researchers. The money is to be deployed through equity investment under the Future Response Fund, with the government seeking matching private investment, and a special purpose company formed by participating companies is under discussion, according to Yonhap, ZDNet Korea and Hankook Ilbo. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The existing Dokpamo competition continues on its original schedule. SK Telecom, Upstage and LG AI Research are in the third evaluation round, which runs to the end of January, each working on models with coding and agent functions on 1,000 Nvidia B200 GPUs, Electronic Times reported. Yonhap, ZDNet Korea and Hankook Ilbo said the ministry plans to select the final two teams around mid-February and to keep supporting them through the end of 2027, with Yonhap noting that incentives for existing participants have not been decided. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
For the frontier track, the ministry aims to call for bids as soon as the National Assembly approves the budget in December, select equity recipients as early as February and begin development in March, according to Yonhap, ZDNet Korea, Hankook Ilbo and Asia Economy. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that the ministry plans to proceed in earnest around March. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
The ministry cited rapid change in the global AI market. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that circumstances shifted after Anthropic released its top-tier Mythos model in April, that Anthropic limited access through a security consortium called Project Glasswing and that the US government treated AI security as a national security matter and imposed export controls on Mythos; Ryu said Korean access was cut off without notice. Hankook Ilbo reported the ministry also weighed industry advice that the existing project alone would struggle to close the gap with the United States. Electronic Times reported the stated aim is to surpass open-source models released by Chinese companies including Moonshot AI and Alibaba, while ZDNet Korea and Kyunghyang Shinmun quoted Ryu saying parity with well-funded US firms is unrealistic but matching China's top open models is a possible goal. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Details remain undecided. According to Yonhap, ZDNet Korea, Hankook Ilbo and Asia Economy, the ministry has not fixed how the two tracks will be linked, whether the final two Dokpamo teams get incentives or priority in the frontier project, or how the special purpose company and equity contributions would work. Electronic Times reported the frontier project will be open to companies regardless of Dokpamo participation, including smaller firms, startups and universities, and Hankook Ilbo quoted a ministry official saying capable startups will get a fair chance. Asia Economy reported that the three remaining Dokpamo companies are relieved the project is continuing but want the detailed plan, including incentives and resource allocation, before deciding whether to join the frontier track. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
Why it matters
The plan changes how a mid-sized AI player allocates state money, moving from a fixed competition to an equity-funded push for top-tier models while keeping existing models for domestic industry use. The documents present it as a response to fast-moving US and Chinese models and to a US export-control episode that cut Korean access to one advanced model. The practical effect depends on budget approval and bidding, since the structure of the new track is not yet fixed.
Key facts
- The Ministry of Science and ICT said at an October 2 briefing in Seoul that the Dokpamo project is being reorganized into a frontier AI track and an industry-diffusion track, and that it is not being halted. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- About 4.7 trillion won is allocated for frontier AI model development in next year's government budget proposal. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The ministry's breakdown is 3.9 trillion won for 10,000 Nvidia Vera Rubin GPUs, 800 billion won for AI training data and 25 billion won to attract 20 top-level overseas researchers. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- SK Telecom, Upstage and LG AI Research are in the third Dokpamo evaluation, which runs to the end of January, and the final two teams are to be selected around mid-February. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Bidding for the frontier AI project is to begin once the National Assembly approves the budget in December, with recipients selected as early as February and development starting in March. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- The money is to be deployed through equity investment, using the Future Response Fund, with matching private investment sought, and a special purpose company under discussion. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The ministry plans to use part of the roughly 29,000 B200 GPUs it holds next year for industry-specific model diffusion. [ 1 , 5 ]
- The ministry says the frontier project is open to all companies, including those that did not take part in Dokpamo, and that startups will get a fair chance. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Ministry of Science and ICT announced the two-track reorganization of the Dokpamo project at an October 2 briefing at the National Information Society Agency's Seoul office, saying the project is not being stopped or absorbed. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- About 4.7 trillion won is set aside for frontier AI model development in next year's budget, to be deployed through equity investment under the Future Response Fund. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The frontier AI budget covers 10,000 Nvidia Vera Rubin GPUs (3.9 trillion won), AI training data (800 billion won) and 20 overseas researchers (25 billion won). [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The third Dokpamo evaluation runs to the end of January, after which the final two of the three competing teams are to be selected around mid-February. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- The ministry aims to open frontier AI bidding once parliament approves the budget in December, select equity recipients as early as February and start development in March. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- The government holds about 29,000 B200 GPUs and is planning next year's allocation, including for industry-specific models. [ 1 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- How the Dokpamo and frontier AI tracks will be linked, and what incentives existing participants will receive. Yonhap, ZDNet Korea, Hankook Ilbo and Asia Economy all report the ministry has not fixed these details.
- Whether the final two Dokpamo teams will automatically take part in the frontier project. ZDNet Korea and Hankook Ilbo report there is no automatic participation, only possible incentives or priority, and Electronic Times says the top two teams' next-stage support may be redirected.
- The structure of the special purpose company and the form of government equity contributions. Electronic Times, Yonhap, ZDNet Korea and Asia Economy describe these as still under review.
- Whether the US imposed export controls on Anthropic's Mythos model and restricted access through a consortium called Project Glasswing. This is stated only by Kyunghyang Shinmun among the documents, citing the ministry's account.
- The exact frontier AI performance target. ZDNet Korea says the previous 95-percent benchmark is to be replaced with targets still under expert discussion, while Kyunghyang Shinmun quotes the vice minister aiming to approach China's top open models.
- When the Dokpamo project began. Kyunghyang Shinmun says June last year, while Hankook Ilbo says August last year.
- The precise size of the frontier AI budget. Electronic Times cites 4.6627 trillion won on a government-proposal basis, while other outlets round it to about 4.7 trillion won.
- Whether the three remaining Dokpamo companies will bid for the frontier project. Asia Economy reports they will decide after seeing the ministry's detailed plan, which is not yet published.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Electronic Times and Yonhap publish reports saying the Dokpamo project is being expanded rather than halted, with about 4.7 trillion won for frontier AI. [ 1 , 2 ]
- ZDNet Korea reports that bidding opens once the December budget is passed, with frontier equity recipients to be chosen as early as February. [ 3 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports the plan, citing the vice minister on the US-led access cutoff to Anthropic's Mythos model and the national-security rationale. [ 4 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports the final independent-model teams will be chosen in February and frontier development will start in March. [ 5 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun publishes a second report on the plan, repeating the April national-security rationale and the March timetable. [ 6 ]
- Asia Economy reports that the three Dokpamo participants are relieved the project continues but are seeking detail on incentives, resource allocation and the special purpose company before deciding whether to join the frontier track. [ 7 ]