South Korea is investing ₩530 billion (about $390 million) in five local companies to develop large language models tailored to the Korean language and culture. The goal is to reduce reliance on foreign AI technologies and strengthen national security. The selected companies include LG AI Research, SK Telecom, Naver Cloud, NC AI, and Upstage. Each company brings unique strengths, from industry-specific data to telecom infrastructure. They aim to compete with OpenAI and Google by focusing on efficiency, real-world applications, and specialized models.