South Korea selected SK Telecom, KT and a Kakao consortium as operators for the nationwide “AI for Everyone” project, the science ministry said on Thursday. The consortiums will use their lead organisations’ strengths to launch public-facing AI services this year. Evaluations reviewed model and service competitiveness, GPU use and infrastructure plans, plus convenience, user acquisition strategies, quality and safety. The ministry plans contracts in September, a beta service and formal launch this year.

South Korea\'s science and AI policy is moving from strategy-setting to producing results, with more emphasis on pilot projects and commercialisation, the Ministry of Science and ICT and other agencies said. Since the first ministerial meeting on science and technology on Nov. 24 last year, the government has held 12 meetings through Aug. 24. Early discussions centred on AI strategy and infrastructure such as GPUs, later shifting to R&D commercialisation, data policy, physical AI, agentic AI and autonomous-driving AI roadmaps.