On June 26, 2025, AustCham Korea member, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Free Economic Zone Authority (DGFEZ), led by Commissioner Kim Byung-sam, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at Pohang City Hall to establish a Global AI Computing Center within the Pohang Fusion Tech District. The ambitious project involves a total investment of KRW 2 trillion and will be developed in four phases, with over 30% of the funding sourced from foreign capital.

Key participants include NHN Cloud, Hyundai E&C, TransLink Capital, TensorWave Korea, as well as POSTECH and Handong Global University. In Phase 1 (2025–2027), a 40MW facility capable of housing 20,000 high-end GPUs will be constructed. It will eventually expand to a 1GW-level global AI cluster by 2036, featuring more than 170,000 GPUs.

The center is expected to create over 600 new jobs and attract global AI firms to Pohang for R&D center relocations and infrastructure investments. Commissioner Kim emphasized DGFEZ’s commitment to supporting the successful development of Korea’s next-generation AI ecosystem.

www.dgfez.go.kr/en/