By Track Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, April 16 (Yonhap) — Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol on Thursday underscored his dedication to creating South Korea a world hub for synthetic intelligence (AI), pointing to worldwide organizations’ plans to put in their key AI platforms within the Asian nation.
Koo, who doubles as deputy prime minister for financial affairs, met with South Korean correspondents in Washington as he was within the U.S. capital to attend conferences of the G20 finance ministers and central financial institution governors at a time when the world is grappling with the financial repercussions of the continuing U.S.-Israeli conflict towards Iran.
Stressing the push to make South Korea an AI hub, Koo mentioned that the World Financial institution has established its personal AI hub in Korea, and that six U.N. businesses, together with the Asian Growth Financial institution and the Inter-American Growth Financial institution, are looking for to construct their very own hubs in Korea.
He added that South Korea plans to request that the Worldwide Financial Fund and European Financial institution for Reconstruction and Growth contemplate establishing their AI hubs in Korea as effectively.
South Korea’ Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol speaks throughout a gathering with reporters in Arlington, Virginia, on April 16, 2026. (Yonhap)
Koo identified that the South Korean trade ought to concentrate on AI reminiscence chips, high-bandwidth reminiscence chips for computing and inference, and sensor chips amongst others, whereas anticipating that after the conflict within the Center East ends, the Korean economic system’s AI transition will proceed quickly.
He additionally mentioned that it’s extra fascinating for South Korea to concentrate on growing small language AI fashions and apply them to ships, automobiles and residential home equipment, provided that Korea could discover it troublesome to remain aggressive in massive language fashions — an space which the USA has taken the lead.
Furthermore, the minister offered AI as an answer to handle the G20’s two key agenda gadgets — progress and imbalances — provided that the expertise would assist improve work effectivity and contribute to the worldwide economic system.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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