Overview
- Government AI outlays would more than triple to 10.1 trillion won, with 2.6 trillion won for deployment across industry and public services and 7.5 trillion won for talent and infrastructure.
- Defense spending is proposed at 66.3 trillion won, up 8.2 percent, as Lee pushes AI-enabled modernization and greater self-reliance, citing progress in talks on fuel for nuclear-powered submarines.
- Seoul plans to buy 15,000 more high-performance GPUs to reach 35,000 units ahead of schedule, while Nvidia’s reported plan to supply 260,000 chips to Korea faces timing questions following Trump’s remarks limiting access to its newest chips.
- The plan includes a record 35.3 trillion won for R&D, up 19.3 percent, and a proposed 150 trillion-won public‑private fund over five years to back strategic industries.
- Lee touts recent economic diplomacy, saying a U.S. tariff deal will secure fairer terms for key exports and highlighting a 70 trillion-won currency swap with China, as the National Assembly weighs the budget before a Dec. 2 deadline.