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Rising Population of Children with Developmental Disabilities Amid Declining Birth Rates 저출생으로 전체 학령인구가 급감하는 상황에서도 지적 장애와 자폐성 장애 등 발달장애 아동 인구는 늘어나고 있다. 이러한 역설적 장면이 펼쳐지는 것은 국가적 차원의 대비책 마련이 시급하다는 방증이다. 최근 한국장애인개발원이 발표한 통계에 따르면, 지난 10년간 전체 아동 인구(18세 미만)는 약 227만 명 감소했으나 등록 장애 아동 중 지적·자폐성 장애 아동은 오히려 2만 명 이상 증가한 것으로 집계됐다. 전체 아동 인구의 절벽 현상 속에서 발달장애 아동의 절대 수치와 비중이 동시에 증가하는 이른바 ‘통계적 역설’이 던지는 메시지는 명확하다. 우리 사회가 발달장애 지원 체계를 근본적으로 재설계해야 한다는 엄중한 경고등이 커지고 있는 것. 발달장애 아동의 증가라는 통계 수치 이면에는 매일 사투를 벌이는 당사자 가정과 열악한 특수교육 현장의 그늘이 짙게 깔려 있다. 한국장애인개발원 자료에 따르면, 18세 미만 등록 장애 아동 가운데 지적·자폐성 장애 비율은 80%를 넘는다. 교육부가 국회에 제출한 최근 자료를 들여다봐도 특수학교 재학생의 고충을 엿볼 수 있다. 특수교육 신청자의 희망 학교 배치율은 87.5%에 그쳐 10명 중 1명 이상이 제때 배정받지 못하며, 특수학교 재학생의 8.2%는 편도 1시간 이상의 원거리 통학을 감수해야하는 실정이다. 일반 학교 내 통합학급에 배치되더라도 전문 특수교사 부족으로 맞춤형 교육이 이뤄지지 못해, 돌봄 부담이 전적으로 가정에 전가되고 있다. 숫자가 가리키는 사회적 함의는 이렇다. 늘어나는 발달장애 아동 수를 고려할 때, 이러한 현실에 대응하는 것은 국가와 사회의 당연한 의무이자 책임이다. 조기 진단 정착 등으로 장애 발견율이 높아진 것은 이들 아동에게 더 많은 사회적 자원을 배분해야 할 당위성을 입증한다. 발달장애에 대한 오해와 편견을 거두고, 단순한 동정을 넘어 사회 구성원으로 함께 살아가는 통합 기반을 구축해야 한다. 전문가들의 목소리도 이러한 진단과 궤를 같이 한다. 이들은 발달장애 아동 정책이 단편적 지원에 그치지 않고, 영유아기 조기 개입부터 성인기 자립까지 연결되는 생애주기별 맞춤형 지원 체계로 전환되어야 한다고 지적한다. 특히 초등 진학 전 치료비 지원 확대와 특수교육 인프라의 획기적 확충이 시급하다. 해외 선진 사례도 중요한 시사점을 제공한다. 장애 아동 지원이 파편화된 한국과 달리, 교육과 복지가 원스톱으로 연동되는 점에 주목해야 한다. 일례로 영국은 교육·보건·돌봄을 하나로 묶은 ‘EHC(Education, Health and Care) 플랜’을 통해 아동과 가족이 한 번의 신청으로 필요한 복합 서비스를 통합 지원받도록 시스템화했다. 지적 장애와 자폐성 장애 아동의 증가는 개별 가정의 비극이나 사적인 돌봄 부담으로 치부될 문제가 결코 아니며, 사회 전체가 응답해야 할 공공의 책임이다. 지적 장애, 자폐성 장애에 대한 복지 및 교육 대책을 원점에서 재검토하고, 특수학교 신설과 전문 교원 확충, 생애주기별 지원망 구축을 신속히 추진해야 한다. 아이를 낳으라고 권장하기에 앞서, 태어난 모든 아이가 장애 유무와 상관없이 사회의 온전한 보호 속에서 자라날 수 있도록 만드는 것, 그것이 국가가 존재해야 하는 이유다.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-13 15:00:20 -
OpenAI and NVIDIA Host First Joint Meetup for Korean Developers OpenAI and NVIDIA held their first joint meetup for local developers, sharing expertise on AI agent development.On August 12, OpenAI announced that it co-hosted the 'Korea Developer Meetup' at its Seoul office with NVIDIA, marking the first such event aimed at the Korean developer community.Approximately 100 attendees, including local engineers, AI practitioners, solution architects, tech leaders, and startup founders, participated in the event. Participants explored how to build production-level AI agents using NVIDIA's AI infrastructure and software ecosystem alongside OpenAI's developer tools, sharing real development experiences and technical challenges.This year marks the 10th anniversary of NVIDIA delivering its first integrated AI supercomputer, the DGX-1, to OpenAI, prompting both companies to reflect on the changes in AI infrastructure and development environments over the past decade and how these developments have influenced today's AI agent creation.Kim Sung-min, an AI deployment engineer at OpenAI, shared a workflow for agent-based development using Codex, based on real development cases at OpenAI. He introduced coding validation methods utilizing automated testing and evaluation data, suggesting a collaborative approach where multiple agents perform tasks in parallel while developers review and integrate the results.Kim Chan-ran, senior developer relations manager at NVIDIA, discussed the transformation of the development environment over the past decade and introduced methods for building and scaling AI agents using the NVIDIA NeMo Agent Toolkit and Agent Skills.During 'lightning talks,' local developers briefly shared their implementation experiences and challenges faced while developing AI agents. The subsequent open Q&A and community discussions addressed practical challenges and approaches for applying AI agents in real work and expanding them into operational environments.Both companies aim to expand the community for local developers, startups, and corporate tech teams to share real development experiences and cases, continuing their collaboration through various joint developer programs.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-13 15:00:20
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South Korea Increases Household Loan Quota Amid Housing Policy Challenges The South Korean government has doubled its target for household loan growth from 1.5% to 3% and plans to expand financial support for real estate project financing (PF). This decision comes as household loans were quickly depleted in the first half of the year, leading to a halt in down payment and relocation loans, which has caused funding shortages for normal housing projects. The government faces a challenge in its real estate policy to ensure that funding is available for genuine buyers while preventing speculative demand and rising housing prices.Increasing the household loan quota will provide the financial sector with an additional annual lending capacity of approximately 30 trillion won. The government intends to prioritize this funding for relocation costs related to reconstruction and redevelopment, as well as for down payments and final payments for newly built apartments, particularly for young, genuine buyers. It is essential to correct the side effect of genuine buyers being unable to secure loans due to quota management.However, the market does not always respond as the government intends. The mere fact that the lending capacity has doubled may be interpreted as a signal that “the government is ultimately loosening its purse strings.” This is especially true in a climate where expectations for rising housing prices persist. To prevent the increased funds from fueling speculative buying beyond genuine demand, banks must carefully manage loan flows by institution and purpose. A policy of tightening after loosening, in response to rising housing prices, only strengthens the market's resilience.Similar principles are necessary for PF support. It is crucial to prevent funding shortages from halting normal housing projects. However, if financial support is extended to unviable projects, it undermines the significance of the PF restructuring efforts made thus far. The principle of preserving viable projects while winding down unprofitable ones must be upheld.Such fine-tuning of financial regulations should not be perceived as a retreat from the government's overall real estate policy. Recently announced reforms to real estate taxation have faced opposition from both the ruling and opposition parties, but the government must not waver in its commitment to shift the tax system toward supporting actual residents and reducing excessive capital gains tax benefits for high-value properties.Reasonable exceptions and supplementary measures are necessary for single-homeowners who cannot live in their homes due to job relocations, caring for parents, or children's education, as well as for low-income elderly long-term homeowners. However, addressing exceptions should not overturn policy principles. It is reasonable to protect actual residences while not providing excessive tax benefits for unoccupied homes or substantial capital gains.If these principles are compromised due to political backlash, it could send a misleading signal to the market that “holding out will eventually lead to relaxed regulations.” If the tax system retreats at the same time as the loan quota is increased, this signal will be even stronger. This is a point the government must be particularly cautious about.Simply tightening the money supply is not a solution. Necessary funds must flow to genuine demand and normal housing supply. However, this should not lead to a relaxation of the overarching principles of real estate policy aimed at curbing speculation and prioritizing actual residency. The government must demonstrate a sophisticated policy operation that stabilizes housing prices while allowing funds to flow where they are needed. 2026-08-13 15:00:10
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EdTech Innovations Focus on Personalized Math Learning at 2026 EduPlus Week As the digital transformation in education accelerates in both public and private sectors, a platform has been established to showcase trends in future education and advanced EdTech technologies. The '2026 EduPlus Week Future Education Expo' is taking place from August 12 to 14 at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul. This expo aims to explore how advanced ICT technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and AR/VR are being applied in real educational settings and to seek directions for developing a future-oriented learning ecosystem that encompasses both public and private education. This year, a significant number of EdTech companies are participating, offering 'personalized solutions' tailored to individual students' academic achievements and learning styles, moving beyond traditional one-way learning tools. Among the participants, the AI-based math problem bank solution 'School作' is gaining attention. Math education is particularly challenging due to the wide range of student abilities and the various reasons for incorrect answers, placing a heavy burden on teachers for individualized instruction. School作 is developed with these characteristics of math education in mind, boasting technology that automatically generates questions and precisely extracts similar questions through its proprietary algorithm. It not only provides a large volume of problem data but also analyzes students' solving histories and error patterns to help address individual weaknesses. This differentiation is expected to reduce the time spent on creating teaching materials and assessments while enabling systematic learning management based on data. Byun Hee-chang, CEO of School作, stated, “With the introduction of digital educational textbooks and changes in the educational environment, the demand for customized math learning is higher than ever.” He added, “Through this expo, we aim to showcase our independently developed and operated precise question analysis solution to teachers and education stakeholders in public education, providing practical feedback that can be utilized in actual classes and assessments.” Byun also expressed, “School作 is not just a problem-providing service; we plan to enhance our AI algorithms to evolve into an intelligent math learning partner that helps students develop problem-solving skills. We hope to expand our collaboration with domestic educational institutions and present alternatives that can lead the digital transformation of math education.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-13 15:00:00
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DB Insurance Reports Q2 Net Profit of 711.1 Billion Won, Up 54.6% Year-on-Year DB Insurance reported a significant increase in net profit for the second quarter of this year, driven by improvements in long-term insurance profitability. The company announced on August 13 that its net profit for Q2 reached 711.1 billion won, a 54.6% increase compared to the same period last year. During the same timeframe, operating profit rose by 57.4% to 963.9 billion won, while revenue decreased by 3.7% to 5.3134 trillion won. Insurance profit surged to 561.8 billion won, marking a 109.9% increase year-on-year. Notably, long-term insurance profit rose by 98.6% to 510.5 billion won, significantly contributing to the overall performance improvement. This was attributed to an improved loss ratio in long-term risk and the recovery of loss contracts due to changes in household circumstances. In contrast, automobile insurance profit fell to 6.2 billion won, an 80.6% decrease from the previous year. The company noted that while the loss ratio remained similar to the first quarter, the rate of increase in losses had somewhat slowed. General insurance profit turned positive at 45.1 billion won, thanks to stable loss ratio management. However, due to significant losses in the first quarter, the cumulative general insurance profit for the first half of the year recorded a deficit of 2.4 billion won. Investment profit increased by 16.7% year-on-year to 402.1 billion won. For the first half of the year, cumulative figures showed revenue of 11.0917 trillion won, operating profit of 1.4272 trillion won, and net profit of 979.6 billion won, reflecting increases of 5.7%, 13.3%, and 8.0%, respectively. Cumulative insurance profit reached 788.4 billion won, up 17.6%, while investment profit rose by 8.4% to 638.2 billion won. As of the end of June, the solvency ratio (K-ICS) stood at 204.3%, a decrease of 27.8 percentage points from the previous quarter. Although the capital ratio declined due to the acquisition of Potegra, it remained above the company's target of 200%. The balance of the Contractual Service Margin (CSM) was 12.8 trillion won, an increase of 588.7 billion won from the end of last year. Despite a decrease in new contract CSM due to a decline in new protection contracts, the CSM balance continued to grow due to improved retention rates through management of cancellations and replacements. The CSM multiples were recorded at 16.5 times for protection and 4.6 times for savings.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-13 15:00:00
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People and Technology Builds Smart Hospital Platform at Saegang Hospital for Real-Time Patient Monitoring Saegang Hospital, located in Pyeonghwa-dong, Jeonju, has established a real-time patient monitoring system based on digital infrastructure for smart hospital operations. The hospital aims to enhance patient safety and operational efficiency from the initial design phase centered around the platform. On August 13, Saegang Hospital announced the completion of this system in collaboration with People and Technology, a company specializing in smart hospital solutions. The implementation was carried out with a platform-centered design that considers overall ward operations rather than simply introducing individual devices. The smart hospital platform from People and Technology integrates patient vital sign data and bed and room information into a single system for management. Saegang Hospital has introduced the HiCardi wearable device for electrocardiograms and the Nonin wearable device for measuring oxygen saturation. The vital signs collected from these devices are integrated and managed at the ward level through the smart hospital platform. The HiCardi and Nonin devices have been applied in key wards, including the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors, as well as the intensive care unit. This setup allows for real-time monitoring of vital signs such as electrocardiograms, respiratory rates, skin temperature, and oxygen saturation, enabling quick identification of changes in patient conditions and responses to abnormal signs in both the intensive care unit and general wards. An electronic name tag system has also been installed across all wards, including the intensive care unit, serving as a display for intuitive access to bed and room information. The structure links the vital sign data collected from wearable devices in the ward to the smart hospital platform, ensuring stable integration and management of patient information at the ward level. This implementation is significant as it represents a platform-based smart hospital construction rather than merely the introduction of single devices. Saegang Hospital operates nine medical departments, including orthopedics, neurosurgery, emergency medicine, internal medicine, surgery, plastic surgery, rehabilitation medicine, radiology, and anesthesiology, with a capacity of 200 beds and 13 medical staff. Neurology services will also commence on September 1. People and Technology stated, "It is crucial to build an operational platform that considers both patient safety and medical staff efficiency from the early stages of hospital operations. We supported the establishment of the smart hospital platform from a hospital management perspective to help Saegang Hospital quickly establish a stable treatment environment."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-13 14:56:00
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President Lee Calls Real Estate a 'Ticking Time Bomb' Threatening National Future President Lee Jae-myung on August 13 described the real estate issue as a "ticking time bomb" threatening the lives of citizens and the future of the nation, urging for a bold and rapid increase in housing supply.He instructed officials to expedite permitting processes and, if existing regulations hinder supply, to secure land by amending laws and systems.During a meeting with senior aides at the Blue House, President Lee stated, "The excessive concentration of social resources in real estate over a long period has deepened polarization and inequality, and the real estate bubble can no longer be ignored."He warned, "Real estate prices in South Korea are extremely high globally, and if this situation continues, we could face a phenomenon similar to the 'lost 20 years' or 'lost 30 years' experienced by certain countries."President Lee emphasized that since virtually all citizens have direct or indirect stakes in real estate, market conditions and public expectations must be accurately reflected. He called for a meticulous adjustment of supply, tax, and financial policies to normalize the market and systematically establish housing stability.He stressed, "An organic combination of bold and rapid supply, a fair and rational tax system, and detailed and robust financial policies is essential."Pointing out the significant drop in permitting and construction volumes since 2022, he urged a concentrated policy effort to expand supply. "Since 2022, permitting has been drastically reduced, and construction has also declined significantly, leading to an unavoidable supply cliff. Extraordinary efforts are needed to fill this gap," he said.President Lee acknowledged the many practical constraints and lengthy timelines associated with supply policies, urging a comprehensive and determined effort to tackle the issue.He also directed that various permitting processes be expedited and that land acquisition should not be constrained by existing regulations. "If necessary, we must secure land in a bold manner, even if it requires changing laws and systems," he instructed.President Lee urged that government measures should not be seen as final conclusions but should be refined by incorporating feedback from the public, experts, and opposition parties. He expressed concern that modifying policies could lead to perceptions of inconsistency or indecisiveness.He stated, "Public officials cannot be 100% perfect. We must do our best to create policy proposals, but when presenting them to the public and political circles, we should reasonably review and transparently discuss any good suggestions or amendments to create more effective policies."He specifically called for a comprehensive review of the so-called "marriage penalty," where newlyweds face disadvantages in areas like housing applications and loans. "When single, men and women had separate opportunities, but when they come together, those opportunities diminish, which is unreasonable," he said. "We need to identify and rectify the wrongs in each area to ensure that citizens do not feel unfairly treated."The government announced that it would assess the income requirements for newlywed couples applying for housing loans based on one spouse's income rather than combined income. It will also promote a "three-pronged youth housing support package," which includes improvements to youth housing loans and combined guarantees for monthly rent.President Lee promised, "We will focus our best efforts to ensure that everyone can enjoy a stable housing environment and achieve the dream of homeownership, moving away from an administrative mindset centered on the convenience of suppliers and continuously improving policies from the perspective of the public."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-13 14:56:00
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Korea's July auto exports hit record as eco-friendly cars drive gains SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - South Korea's auto exports reached a record high for July, led by stronger shipments of eco-friendly vehicles to North America and Europe even as domestic sales barely grew, government data showed Thursday. Auto exports rose 7.0 percent from a year earlier to $6.24 billion in July, the highest figure ever recorded for the month, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR). The previous July highs were $5.90 billion in 2023 and $5.83 billion in 2025. The headline number masked a split in the market. Domestic sales rose just 0.5 percent to 139,256 vehicles, while production climbed 11.3 percent to 352,070 units. Export volume rose faster than export value, increasing 15.3 percent to 244,181 vehicles. Eco-friendly vehicles drove much of the export gain. Exports of eco-friendly cars rose 25.5 percent from a year earlier to $2.59 billion in July. Electric and hydrogen vehicle exports jumped 31.9 percent to $940 million, while hybrid exports increased 22.2 percent to $1.65 billion. Internal-combustion vehicle exports, by contrast, fell 3.1 percent to $3.65 billion. By region, North America remained the largest export market, with shipments rising 18.0 percent to $3.25 billion. Exports to the United States alone rose 17.9 percent to $2.75 billion. Exports to the European Union climbed 23.5 percent to $881 million, while shipments to the Middle East rose 12.7 percent to $433 million, marking the region's first increase in eight months. The ministry attributed the stronger export and production figures to increased working days after major automakers shifted their summer holiday period from July last year to August this year. It also cited steady global demand for eco-friendly vehicles and SUVs. At home, growth was far more modest. Local sales of eco-friendly vehicles reached 84,105 units in July, up 14.6 percent from a year earlier and accounting for about 60 percent of total domestic sales. Electric vehicle sales rose 47.5 percent to 35,936 units. Still, overall domestic sales were held to a marginal gain as sales of domestically produced vehicles fell 3.1 percent, offset by a 14.8 percent rise in imports. The divergence extended down to individual automakers. Kia sold 54,735 vehicles in Korea in July, up 21.3 percent from a year earlier, while Hyundai Motor's domestic sales fell 14.4 percent to 48,113 units. Tesla sold 10,237 vehicles, up 39.1 percent, while BYD sold 2,846 vehicles, compared with 292 a year earlier. On the export side, Kia shipped 105,112 vehicles, up 26.0 percent from a year earlier. Hyundai exported 90,310 units, up 1.4 percent, while GM Korea exported 41,312 vehicles, up 33.4 percent. The data was released as the ministry held an auto industry meeting with Hyundai Motor, GM Korea, KG Mobility and Renault Korea, along with industry associations and research institutes. Automakers told the government that maintaining a stable domestic production base of more than 4 million vehicles a year is critical as competition in the global electric vehicle market intensifies, particularly with the rapid growth of Chinese manufacturers. Participants also discussed the need to shift the auto parts supply chain toward future vehicles and build a cooperative structure in which automakers and parts suppliers can grow together. Park Dong-il, director general for industrial policy at the ministry, said the government, automakers and parts suppliers should work as "one team" as the global auto industry is reshaped by the transition to future vehicles. AJP Takeaway · South Korea's auto exports reached a record July high of $6.24 billion in 2026, up 7.0 percent from a year earlier. · Eco-friendly vehicles drove the increase, with exports rising 25.5 percent to $2.59 billion, while internal-combustion vehicle exports fell 3.1 percent to $3.65 billion. · Domestic sales rose only 0.5 percent to 139,256 vehicles, while export volume climbed 15.3 percent to 244,181 units. 2026-08-13 14:53:31 -
Sejong Center to stage Korean premiere of Chong Wishing's 'Sumire Hair Salon' SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) - Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will stage the Korean premiere of "Sumire Hair Salon," the final work in playwright and director Chong Wishing's trilogy on Zainichi Koreans, from Sept. 12 to Oct. 3 at Sejong M Theater in central Seoul. The play closes a trilogy Chong developed over roughly two decades, following "Like a Flower Blooming in a Field" and "Yakiniku Dragon" the 2008 family drama that won him the Asahi Performing Arts Award Grand Prix, the Yomiuri Theater Award Grand Prix and the Kinokuniya Theater Award the following year. Set in 1965 in a coal-mining village in Kyushu called "Arirang Pass," the play follows Sumi, a Zainichi Korean woman who runs a small barbershop and dreams of opening a hair salon under her own name. Around her are family members who have each made different choices to survive: a husband who took Japanese nationality, a brother-in-law left unable to work in the mines after an injury, a younger sister just starting married life and a father who refuses to give up his Korean nationality. An explosion at the mine upends their fragile daily life, forcing each of them to confront loss and separation in their own way. The story draws on a documented history. There were 79,702 Korean laborers working at mines across Kyushu and Yamaguchi as of March 1945, accounting for about 27 percent of all miners there, according to Sejong Center. More than 80,000 Zainichi Koreans later boarded ships to North Korea between 1959 and 1984 under a repatriation campaign that promised them a "paradise on earth." The play uses that history to ask how divisions by nationality and origin continue to echo today. Ahead of the run, Sejong Center will host a lecture on Sept. 2 by Hosaka Yuji, a scholar of modern Korea-Japan relations, on the forced mobilization of Korean laborers and the history of Japan's mining villages. Chong, a second-generation Zainichi Korean, was born in 1957 in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. He began his career with the theater troupe Kuro Tento before becoming a founding member of Shinjuku Ryozanpaku in 1987. He won the Kishida Kunio Drama Award, Japan's top playwriting prize, in 1993 for "The Terayama," and has since worked across theater, film and television. His screenwriting credits include "All Under the Moon" and "Blood and Bones." His work has previously reached Korean audiences through "Yakiniku Dragon" and other stage collaborations, including a 2015 National Changgeuk Company production that reworked a Brecht play into traditional Korean music theater. The Korean premiere brings together a 12-member cast spanning generations. Veteran actor Jeon Moo-song, who has worked on stage and screen since his 1964 debut, plays Hong-gil, an older man who refuses to give up his Korean nationality despite the pressures around him. Choi Ji-yeon plays Sumi, the barbershop owner at the center of the story, while Jeon Kuk-hyang plays her older sister Hatsumi. Jeon's character's partner, labor union chief Omura, is played by Shin Hyun-jong, who is her real-life spouse as well. The rest of the ensemble includes Song Young-joo, Seo Dong-gab, Kim Dong-won, Hong Won-ki, Lee Seung-woo, Kim Moon-sik, Song Seok-geun and Kim Ji-hoon. The production is written and directed by Chong, with stage design by veteran designer Lee Tae-sub. "Sumire Hair Salon" runs about 180 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. (1030 GMT) Tuesday through Friday and 3 p.m. on weekends, with no Monday shows. The Sept. 24 performance moves to 3 p.m., and there is no show on Sept. 25. Tickets, priced from 40,000 to 80,000 won, are available through Sejong Center's website, NOL Ticket, Yes24 and Melon Ticket. AJP Takeaway · Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will stage the Korean premiere of “Sumire Beauty Salon” from Sept. 12 to Oct. 3 at Sejong M Theater in central Seoul. · The play is the final work in playwright-director Chong Wishing’s Zainichi Korean trilogy, following “Like a Flower Blooming in a Field” and “Yakiniku Dragon.” · Set in a Kyushu mining village in 1965, the story follows a Zainichi Korean family facing nationality, survival, loss and separation after a coal mine explosion. 2026-08-13 14:52:54 -
Central Asia emerges as South Korea's AI frontier SEOUL, August 13 (AJP) -South Korea wants to become one of the world's top three artificial-intelligence powers, and Central Asia may offer something lacking at home - ample space, energy and governments willing to build the physical infrastructure that AI requires. But Seoul is arriving at a market where U.S., Gulf, Chinese and Japanese players are already staking out positions. Kazakhstan is planning a data-center zone with eventual capacity of 1 gigawatt. Uzbekistan is courting billions of dollars for hyperscale computing. Kyrgyzstan is exploring AI data centers tied to hydropower and battery storage. Tajikistan is linking its AI ambitions with digital infrastructure, hydropower and mineral development, while Turkmenistan has made AI part of a new three-year digital-economy program. That makes the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul on Sept. 16-17 more than another exercise in resource diplomacy. Artificial intelligence could become the thread connecting the traditional agenda of critical minerals and energy with a new contest over computing power, data centers, smart cities, digital government and the financing needed to build them. Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT has made becoming a global top-three AI power a national policy goal, with an "AI Highway" of computing infrastructure, homegrown models and nationwide AI adoption at the center of the strategy. Seoul's newly devised K-AI package is designed to attach Korean AI solutions and data centers to infrastructure financed through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund, with renewable-energy facilities potentially added to the package. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun Cheol raised the model directly with Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev this week, proposing cooperation stretching from critical-mineral exploration and processing to AI data centers and renewable energy. Seoul describes the K-AI package as linking AI solutions, data centers and power infrastructure to DCF-backed projects. Khodjaev agreed that AI data centers and critical minerals should become deeper areas of bilateral cooperation, while the two sides identified AI, supply chains, renewable energy, biotechnology and advanced infrastructure as areas to advance before the September summit. The business is straightforward. Central Asia has much of what Korea's AI expansion increasingly needs, while Korea has much of what Central Asian governments lack. The five countries offer combinations of electricity, land, critical minerals, hydrocarbons, hydropower and rapidly expanding digital markets. Korea brings semiconductor and memory technology, power equipment, engineering and construction, telecommunications networks, cooling systems, smart-city platforms and development finance. If those pieces can be assembled together rather than sold one by one, Central Asia could become a test ground for exporting a Korean AI infrastructure stack. Kazakhstan is moving fastest. Its new Digital Qazaqstan strategy through 2029 explicitly describes an "AI Economy Stack" extending from energy and infrastructure through computing power, data and language models to digital platforms and AI services. At the center is a sovereign AI hub built around the Data Center Valley in Ekibastuz, the coal-and-power city northeast of Astana. Kazakhstan plans to scale the cluster to 1 GW, bringing computing facilities, research institutions and technology companies onto one platform. The government estimates the broader Data Center Valley could eventually attract about $30 billion of investment. A first 125-megawatt data center and supporting engineering infrastructure are targeted for completion by the first half of 2027, with later phases taking the cluster toward 1 GW. Already, Kazakhstan has announced a separate $10 billion package involving U.S.-based Firebird and Nvidia technology that envisages computing capacity using as many as 100,000 advanced GPUs, including GB300 and Vera Rubin chips. The scale matters for Korea. Rather than competing only to sell servers or build individual facilities, Korean companies could enter at the level of the entire industrial system - substations and transmission, renewable generation and storage, liquid cooling, data-center construction, networking, AI memory, security and operating platforms. No Korean names have so far appeared in Kazakh projects. Uzbekistan is following a similar path. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's AI strategy through 2030 calls for greater AI computing capacity, more AI-based public services and wider deployment in healthcare, agriculture, finance, customs and energy. The government has already built a $24 million GPU-based AI infrastructure platform and plans additional computing equipment, while Mirziyoyev has repeatedly framed AI and digitalization as strategic tools for economic competitiveness rather than simply an IT-sector policy. Saudi Arabia's DataVolt has begun implementing a $3 billion, 500-MW data-center project, according to the Uzbek presidency. The country plans to add more than 17 GW of renewable generation by 2030 and expand its high-voltage transmission network as electricity demand rises. That combination — data centers plus power generation plus grid expansion — closely resembles what Korea's K-AI package is intended to assemble. Korea already has a beachhead. KT acquired Uzbek fixed-line operator East Telecom in 2007, and the companies subsequently developed a Tier III-class data center in Tashkent. East Telecom described the project as a 6,000-square-meter facility with more than 300 racks and plans for a broader Central Asian data-center network. But it remains small beside the hundreds-of-megawatts projects now under discussion. Daewoo E&C and state-backed Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corp., or KIND, have also been asked to examine a data center linked to Tashkent's planned Aerocity development. That remains at the proposal stage rather than a committed hyperscale investment. The gap illustrates Korea's challenge. It has relevant companies, but not yet a Central Asian project structure that combines them. Kyrgyz investment authorities this year discussed an AI data center that would draw on the country's hydropower potential, incorporate battery energy storage and reuse heat generated by computing facilities. Its government has also called for regional access to computing capacity through data centers as part of wider AI cooperation. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has identified artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure alongside hydropower, mining and mineral processing as prospective areas for foreign investment. Dushanbe has also promoted the idea of a regional AI center and is developing its own AI ecosystem. Turkmenistan, meanwhile, adopted a digital-economy program running through 2028 that includes development of a national AI strategy and the use of AI technologies across industries. Those ambitions point toward a possible division of labor across Central Asia rather than five isolated national markets. Kazakhstan can offer large-scale power and land for compute. Uzbekistan brings the region's largest population, industrial demand and aggressive investment drive. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan offer substantial hydropower potential. Turkmenistan brings energy resources. For Korea, the more valuable prize may therefore be a regional AI-energy-resource corridor, rather than a single data-center contract. AI infrastructure requires not only GPUs and high-bandwidth memory but enormous quantities of electricity, electrical equipment, copper, construction materials, cooling equipment and network infrastructure. Korea is strong in the manufactured end of that chain but remains highly dependent on imported energy and raw materials. A package that combines Korean technology with local resources could therefore give both sides more than a conventional mining agreement. AI could be used inside the mines, grids and processing plants themselves — for geological analysis, predictive maintenance, power optimization, automated industrial control and logistics — while the same energy and mineral base supports data centers and computing infrastructure. The upcoming summit's business agenda is therefore likely to be dominated by four overlapping questions: where to build computing capacity, how to power it, how to connect it with critical-mineral supply chains, and who will finance the package. The last question may be Korea's biggest weakness. Japan has already demonstrated how a coordinated national package can work in Uzbekistan. Toyota Tsusho, Internet Initiative Japan, NEC and NTT Communications won a project from state-owned Uzbektelecom covering data centers in Tashkent, Bukhara and Kokand as well as domestic and international telecommunications networks. Toyota Tsusho acts as prime contractor, IIJ supplies containerized data-center systems and cloud infrastructure, NEC provides network equipment and NTT supports international connectivity. Financing is backed by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, MUFG Bank and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance. Japan had begun building that financing-and-technology chain years earlier, including a JBIC-backed Uzbek telecommunications project in 2019. A Ministry of Finance and Economy official cautioned that the government's push is still at an early stage, admitting no concrete public-private projects that have taken shape yet. The Sept. 16-17 leaders' gathering will be Korea's first summit with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan together. Officials have placed its economic component under a broader goal of building an “innovative and prosperous future” while institutionalizing the C5 relationship and producing visible cooperation projects. AJP Takeaways: Central Asia is emerging as a potential AI infrastructure partner for Korea, offering power, land, critical minerals and governments seeking sovereign computing and digital industries. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are moving at hyperscale, with Kazakhstan targeting a 1-GW Data Center Valley and Uzbekistan attracting a $3 billion, 500-MW project from DataVolt. Korea's new K-AI package could link AI solutions, data centers, power infrastructure and development finance, turning traditional resource cooperation into a wider AI-energy-minerals partnership. The September Korea-Central Asia summit will test Korea's ability to build a coordinated public-private consortium, an area where Japan has already demonstrated a financing-plus-technology model in Uzbekistan. 2026-08-13 14:50:24