Park Su-ryon

The author is the industry news desk head at the JoongAng Ilbo.

From fried chicken to Nvidia's latest Blackwell GPUs, Jensen Huang was deliberate. Returning to Korea for the first time in 15 years, the Nvidia CEO opened with an unexpected scene - inviting third-generation conglomerate leaders to a fried chicken shop near Seoul's Samseong Station - and followed it by announcing that Nvidia would prioritize the delivery of 260,000 GPUs to Korea. The enthusiastic reception he received over two days made clear where the decision-making power lay. GPUs have become so scarce that even buyers must thank the seller for allowing the purchase.

The cost of 260,000 GPUs, to be purchased by the Korean government and four major conglomerates, is estimated at around 15 trillion won ($10.5 billion), based on roughly $3 million per GB200 NVL72 server rack. It is rare for Korea to sign a single contract of this scale with a foreign company, and the same holds true for Nvidia. Korea's vision of "manufacturing AI" - embedding AI across industrial sectors - aligns neatly with Nvidia's ambition to expand AI into the physical world.

It is encouraging that the government and companies have finally secured a large supply of GPUs and declared their intention to transform Korean manufacturing through AI. Only a year ago, Korea was notably silent while Taiwan and Japan raced ahead, announcing AI partnerships with Nvidia. Korea, instead of concentrating on AI and emerging technologies, was led by a president more occupied with implausible political scenarios, such as the possibility of declaring martial law on December 3.

If this era is defined by machines generating intelligence, then a manufacturing nation like Korea has reason to move quickly. During the Industrial Revolution, European nations that harnessed steam engines, spinning machines, and steel production reshaped the world. The United States led the past century by dominating computing technology.

But conviction alone does not translate into transformation. Even with GPUs secured and hyperscale data centers from companies like Amazon Web Services and OpenAI arriving, none of these systems power themselves. The electricity to run AI supercomputers built on 260,000 GPUs has to be generated within Korea. The United States, which holds more than 20 million GPUs, is rebuilding its nuclear energy sector for similar reasons. It is also why President Lee Jae Myung coupled his campaign pledge of becoming a global AI leader with plans for a nationwide "energy highway."

Yet, unlike the excitement surrounding GPUs, the energy question is far more complicated. Nuclear power - politicized under the Moon Jae-in administration - remains essential in the AI era, but still constrained. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission has twice delayed a decision on extending the lifespan of Kori-2 Nuclear Power Plant, which could operate for another 40 years. The hesitation itself sends a message.

Kori-2, with a capacity of 685 megawatts, first saw its review postponed due to insufficient contingency planning for events such as aircraft attacks. Once corrected, a ruling party-appointed member argued that the plant's radiation environmental impact assessment should be reevaluated using standards from its original 1981 operating permit. The vote was delayed again. It leaves the impression that the energy output of six wind farms the size of Jeju's Hallim Wind Power Complex is being left idle. Ten reactors are currently awaiting approval for extended operation. Will each face the same stalemate?

Another pressure point is the "energy highway." The Lee administration plans to connect industrial centers in the Seoul metropolitan area with coastal energy-producing regions through ultra-high-voltage transmission lines. But resistance is already arising. On Wednesday, a civic group in Haenam, South Jeolla, protested against the project, demanding its cancellation. Designated as a key hub to connect offshore r...