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Key Points

SK Group and Amazon Web Services are teaming up to build South Korea's largest AI data centre, featuring 60,000 GPUs. The facility, set in Ulsan, will be a key part of SK Telecom's $2.49 billion AI investment plan. Meanwhile, LG Energy Solution has secured a major EV battery deal with China's Chery Automobile worth an estimated $730 million. Both projects highlight South Korea's push into advanced tech and green energy sectors.

Key Points: SK Group and AWS to Build South Korea's Largest AI Data Centre

  • SK Telecom plans $2.49B AI infrastructure investment by 2028
  • Facility to house 60,000 GPUs with 100MW power capacity
  • LG Energy secures $730M EV battery deal with China's Chery
  • AWS collaboration marks major AI infrastructure expansion in South Korea
3 min read

South Korea's largest AI data centre on the anvil

SK Group partners with AWS to construct South Korea's biggest AI data centre with 60,000 GPUs, set to launch in Ulsan this year.

South Korea's largest AI data centre on the anvil
"They have been working on the project, but the exact timeline and other details have yet to be finalised. — SK Group Spokesperson"

Seoul, June 16

SK Group, a South Korean chip-to-construction conglomerate, said on Monday it plans to build the country's largest artificial intelligence (AI) data centre in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS).

The two companies are expected to launch the project later this month and hold a groundbreaking ceremony in August, according to industry sources.

"They have been working on the project, but the exact timeline and other details have yet to be finalised," an SK Group spokesperson said, reports Yonhap news agency.

The facility will be located in the Mipo industrial complex in Ulsan, 305 kilometers southeast of Seoul. It will house 60,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) and have a power capacity of 100 megawatts, making it the country's first AI infrastructure of such scale, the sources said.

Ryu Young-sang, chief executive officer (CEO) of SK Telecom Co., had announced the company's plan to build a hyperscale AI data centre equipped with 60,000 GPUs in collaboration with a global tech partner, during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 held in Spain in March.

SK Telecom plans to invest 3.4 trillion won (US$2.49 billion) in AI infrastructure by 2028, with a significant portion expected to be allocated to the data centre project.

AWS, a subsidiary of Amazon, provides on-demand cloud computing platforms and application programming interfaces (APIs) to individuals, businesses and governments on a pay-per-use basis.

Meanwhile, LG Energy Solution, South Korea's leading battery manufacturer, said on Monday it has secured a deal with China's Chery Automobile Co. to supply cylindrical electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Under the deal, LG Energy Solution will supply a combined 8 gigawatt-hours of its next-generation 46-series cylindrical batteries to Chery Automobile over the next six years. The volume is enough to power approximately 120,000 EVs, according to the company.

The value of the contract was not disclosed but industry observers estimate it to stand at around 1 trillion won (US$730 million).

The supply is scheduled to begin early next year, with the batteries to be installed in Chery's flagship EV models.

The 46-series cylindrical batteries offer over five times the energy capacity and output of conventional cylindrical cells, and are known for their high production efficiency.

LG Energy Solution said the deal has proven the excellence of its proprietary nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM)-based 46-series battery, which outperforms lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in cold temperatures and charging efficiency while also delivering superior energy density.

The two companies plan to expand their partnership to include additional EV models across the Chery Group.

—IANS

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Rajesh K.
Impressive scale! 60,000 GPUs is massive. Hope Indian companies like TCS and Reliance are taking notes. We need similar AI infrastructure investments here to compete globally. The EV battery deal with China is interesting too - shows how tech partnerships are becoming borderless.
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Priya M.
South Korea continues to lead in tech innovation! 🇰🇷 But I wonder - with such massive power requirements (100MW!), are they using renewable energy sources? Climate change is a global concern we can't ignore, even for AI progress. #SustainableTech
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Amit S.
The battery deal shows China's EV dominance continues. India needs to step up its game in battery tech - we have the talent but lack scale. At least our Ola Electric is trying! Also, $2.5B for AI infra? Makes our budgets look small. Time to think bigger!
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Neha T.
As a tech student, this is inspiring! But I hope India focuses on building our own AI capabilities rather than just importing tech. We have brilliant minds in IITs - just need proper funding and vision. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
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Vikram J.
Good for South Korea, but I'm more interested in the India angle. When will we see AWS make such massive investments here? We have cheaper power and land costs in many states. Maybe our policies need to be more attractive for global tech giants.

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