South Korea\'s Ministry of Science and ICT said it has laid the groundwork for the country to become one of the world’s top three AI powers over the past year, alongside restoring the R&D ecosystem and guaranteeing basic communications rights. It said it is pushing plans to secure 260,000 advanced GPUs by 2030 and has introduced AI-related laws. The ministry also plans to roll out “AI for Everyone” starting as early as November, aiming to keep it free through 2028.

Stock market money in China is continuing to concentrate in the AI supply chain, including semiconductors, software and cloud, even as the broader economy slows. Investors are focusing on companies aligned with Beijing’s push for technological self-reliance, and performance gaps between mainland and Hong Kong markets reflect listing structures. Selective bets are also emerging among hardware and AI model companies. Price competition, highlighted by DeepSeek’s discounts and low API costs, is another key driver.