(LEAD) Lee declares vision to make S. Korea leader in AI supply chain

Go to Contents Go to Navigation Facebook X More Pinterest Linked in Tumblr Reddit Facebook Messenger Copy URL URL is copied. OK (ATTN: UPDATES with more info, photo in last 7 paras)By Park Boram SAN FRANCISCO, July 24 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung declared a vision Friday to make South Korea a trustworthy production base and supply partner for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors, vowing to lead the country into a key global player in the AI supply chain. The president made the remarks as he unveiled his "San Francisco AI Declaration" at a high-level meeting in the namesake city that brought together the chiefs of global tech firms and the heads of South Korean conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics Co.

Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman and Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang also attended the meeting.

"South Korea will make a leap forward to become an irreplaceable, core nation in the AI supply chain," Lee said. "Based on the world's highest-level competitiveness and production capacity in memory semiconductors we have, (South Korea) will become a trustworthy AI chip production base and supply chain partner," the president said. President Lee Jae Myung unveils the "San Francisco AI Declaration" during an event in San Francisco on July 24, 2026.

(Yonhap) The declaration came as Seoul seeks to provide further momentum after growing global demand for semiconductors amid the AI boom has helped push South Korean into becoming one of the world's major chip supply hubs. Last month, South Korea announced three megaprojects involving major investments, totaling over 4,000 trillion won (US$2.73 trillion), in a semiconductor production cluster, physical AI and AI data centers.

"South Korea will establish a world-class AI hub that will reliably supply the core infrastructure needed by the global AI ecosystem," the president said. "The Republic of Korea will create a new market where the world can grow together by becoming not only a key supplier but also a country that most effectively and swiftly utilizes AI," he added, referring to South Korea by its official name. Lee also pledged efforts to create new markets for the real-world application of AI technology, such as in manufacturing or logistics, adding that the country will also seek to become a test bed for AI adoption.

"South Korea will become a responsible partner that shares the opportunities and benefits of AI with the world and grows together rather than pursuing growth alone," he said. The South Korean president arrived here earlier in the day as part of a five-nation trip that will later take him to three South American countries, including Chile and Argentina. He is set to depart Saturday for Brazil.

President Lee Jae Myung unveils the "San Francisco AI Declaration" during an event in San Francisco on July 24, 2026. (Yonhap) pbr@yna.co.

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