South Korea Emerging as Global AI Powerhouse, Says WirtschaftsWoche (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — German business weekly WirtschaftsWoche (WiWo) has spotlighted South Korea’s aggressive push to become a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), describing the country as one of the world’s most attractive emerging markets for technology investors.
In an article titled “Why South Korea Is Becoming Increasingly Attractive to Tech Investors (Warum Südkorea für Tech-Anleger immer spannender wird),” the magazine noted that while most investors still focus on the United States, South Korea is “racing ahead at full speed” in the AI competition. It cited the country’s robust innovation ecosystem, advanced IT infrastructure, and growing public-private partnerships as key strengths.
WiWo highlighted that South Korea ranked first among Asian nations in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index 2025, and said President Lee Jae-myung’s government plans to triple AI-related spending in next year’s budget to US$7.2 billion.
The magazine pointed to surging optimism around Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, describing them as central beneficiaries of the AI boom. Samsung’s stock has climbed 55 percent since early September, yet remains undervalued compared to TSMC, Nvidia, and Micron, the report said. SK hynix’s shares have more than doubled over the past eight weeks, bolstered by expectations for growth and its expanding partnership with OpenAI alongside Samsung.
The article also noted that the MSCI Korea Index has surged more than 90 percent in euro terms since its April low, largely driven by AI-linked stocks—particularly Samsung, which makes up about 30 percent of the index, and SK hynix, which accounts for roughly 16 percent.
Korean Science and ICT Minister Paik Kyung-hoon shared the article on social media, calling it “a reflection of Korea’s tireless drive to become a top-three AI power.” He cited the government’s record AI budget, creation of a National AI Strategy Committee, and memorandums of understanding with global tech leaders such as BlackRock, OpenAI, Nvidia, and AWS as evidence of the country’s rapid progress.
“The coming year will be a turning point,” Paik wrote. “To become an AI powerhouse, third place isn’t enough—we must aim for global leadership. But I believe that expectation is now replacing concern.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)