Amazon Just Bet $4 Billion on South Korea's AI Boom -- Here's Why It Could Be a Game-Changer

Khac Phu Nguyen

Fri, Jun 20, 2025, 6:17 PM 1 min read

Amazon Web Services (NASDAQ:AMZN) and SK Group are teaming up to build what could become South Korea's most powerful AI infrastructure project to date. The two giants are putting roughly $5.11 billion on the table$4 billion from AWS aloneto develop a hyperscale data center in Ulsan. Construction is scheduled to start in September, with a 100MW launch target by 2029. But that's just the beginning. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won told investors the plan is to scale to one gigawatt down the road, potentially transforming Ulsan into a global nerve center for AI computing.

The announcement wasn't just corporate theater. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and tech leaders showed up in force, signaling just how strategic this move could be for the country's long-term growth. President Lee pointed out that building next-gen tech infrastructure outside the capital is more than a regional development playit might be a template for the nation's high-tech decentralization. Chey, for his part, sees the AI race as a core pillar of Korea's future economic engine. If SK can deliver on the capacity, this site may serve as a launchpad for global AI trafficnot just domestic.

Investors were already connecting the dots. On Friday, AI-linked names rallied hard. SK Hynix (HXSCL) gained over 3%, Kakao popped 11%, and LG CNS surged 9%, lifting the KOSPI above 3,000 for the first time in over three years. The market response suggests traders aren't just excited about another data centerthey're betting this investment could be a catalyst for Korea's next AI leap.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.