NAVER is ramping up its GAK Sejong AI data center to reach 200 megawatts by 2028, transforming South Korea’s AI infrastructure landscape. This ambitious project, backed by nearly $10 billion in investments from NVIDIA and Brookfield Asset Management, signals Seoul’s push to establish sovereign AI capabilities on par with global tech powerhouses.

The first phase of the facility, delivering 55 MW, is set to launch in early 2027, with a 100 MW expansion planned later that year. The full 200 MW capacity is expected to be operational by 2028. Brookfield, a leading Canadian asset manager, has committed up to $9 billion, while NVIDIA is injecting $1 billion directly into NAVER. NAVER itself will fund the gap.

Building Sovereign AI Power

Designed to host NVIDIA’s cutting-edge AI hardware, including the Vera Rubin and Blackwell architectures, the data center aims to create what NAVER calls "sovereign AI infrastructure." This means South Korea will own and operate its AI computing resources domestically, reducing dependence on US-based hyperscalers. The announcement coincided with President Jae Myung Lee’s trip to an AI summit in San Francisco, underlining the project’s geopolitical significance.

While primarily serving Korean enterprises, the facility also targets US clients, with a vision extending towards gigawatt-scale expansion. NAVER’s HyperCLOVA X AI models are being developed alongside NVIDIA’s Nemotron Coalition, further reinforcing the collaboration.

The scale of this project stands out for investors in crypto and decentralized AI networks, where platforms like Render and Akash anticipate AI compute demand will outstrip what centralized data centers can provide. Though it represents massive centralized capacity, the $10 billion investment confirms the surge in AI compute needs, highlighting the competition decentralized networks face.

Power consumption is another critical factor. A 200 MW data center draws vast energy, creating competition for electricity that could impact cryptocurrency miners and AI trainers alike, especially in areas with limited grid capacity. As power costs influence the economics of both sectors, this expansion could reshape energy markets.