South Korea’s second-stage evaluation for the government’s independent AI foundation model project found usability and potential industrial and service application were decisive. Motif Technologies was eliminated despite leading global benchmarks, while Upstage, SK Telecom and LG AI Research advanced on strengths such as commercial deployment plans, industrial demonstrations and ecosystem expansion. The government will hold a third-stage contest to pick two final teams, but has not set detailed criteria or schedule and is reviewing 2027 support plans linked to a frontier AI model programme.

SK Telecom, LG AI Research and Upstage have passed the second-stage evaluation of the government’s sovereign AI project and advanced to the next round, the Ministry of Science and ICT and NIPA said on Aug. 18. Motif Technologies, which joined through an additional call, did not advance. The ministry said it assessed teams using benchmark, expert and user scores, adding a public-use evaluation process.