Jang Seob Yoon
Research expert covering South Korea
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) in South Korea - statistics & facts
Home to digitally-oriented companies and a tech-savvy population, South Korea has actively participated in the generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) sector. Ever since the emergence of ChatGPT and more recently, DeepSeek, Gen AI has been one of the hottest topics around the world. Built upon the foundation of large language models (LLMs), Gen AI services were utilized by many on a personal and professional level. The breakthroughs for programs able to answer questions or even generate images were proving especially useful for certain company functions.
South Korean Large Language Models
The quality of Gen AI’s output was directly impacted by the data it was trained on. Globally leading LLMs such as Claude, Gemini, or GPT were developed by U.S.-based companies using data predominantly in English, while requiring a lot of resources. South Korean companies capitalized on these factors to differentiate their own models. For example, HyperClova X, an LLM from domestic tech giant Naver, recorded promising benchmark scores for Korean compared to foreign open-source models. LG’s EXAONE 3.5 boasted relatively economic training costs. Additionally, companies like Samsung and KT Corporation provided Gen AI tools targeting the B2B market based on their proprietary LLMs Samsung Gauss and KT Mi:dm.Generative artificial intelligence services in South Korea
With the help of Gen AI, a variety of tasks have been simplified to entering a prompt and a few clicks. The capabilities of modern tools spanned from summarizing videos to producing presentations, usually alongside an in-depth chat functionality. For South Korean startup WRTN Technologies, one of their most popular features was character chat, in which users could interact with AI characters. Another startup called Liner was known for its transparent disclosure of academic sources used in its answers. The fact that a significant share of the platform’s user base was in the United States highlighted its universal appeal.What does the future hold for generative artificial intelligence?
The landscape of Gen AI in South Korea was a mixture between established large companies and emerging new players, which was also a reflection of the general business landscape in the country. Despite the presence of international leaders, South Korea successfully created sovereign LLMs, paving the way forward. Nevertheless, in the short term, several pertinent issues and concerns loom ahead for all stakeholders. As the industry looks toward more complex applications like AI agents and eventually artificial general intelligence (AGI), it remains to be seen whether South Korean companies can be as disruptive as their Chinese counterparts and challenge the status quo.Jang Seob Yoon
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Mar 27, 2025
Jang Seob Yoon
Research expert covering South Korea
