It has been confirmed that Samsung has applied for a building permit to construct an AI data center in Chuncheon.
Following GS (Donghae) and SK (Gangneung), Samsung's (Chuncheon) investment decision is rapidly positioning Gangwon Province as a hub for the AI industry. In particular, the Chuncheon AI Data Center is a 'modular' type utilizing Samsung's unrivaled technological prowess, and is expected to be completed in October of next year, making it the fastest among AI data centers currently being promoted in Korea.
On June 19, Samsung applied for a permit to construct a new 37,475㎡ AI data center on the site of the Samsung SDS Data Center in Chiljeon-dong, Chuncheon. If the building permit is approved within this month, construction will begin immediately in August with plans for completion in October of next year. If it proceeds as planned, Chuncheon will win the title of the 'first AI data center in Korea'.
The Haenam National AI Computing Center, scheduled to break ground in August, is currently progressing at the fastest pace in Korea, aiming for completion in 2028. However, Samsung plans to complete its AI data center in Chuncheon one year earlier than Haenam.
The secret to the Chuncheon AI Data Center being completed in just one year is that it is a 'modular' type. Currently, all AI data centers being built in Korea take about two to three years due to design and large-scale framework construction. However, the modular type involves pre-manufacturing the data center in a factory and installing it on-site.
The capacity of the Chuncheon AI Data Center scheduled for completion next year is relatively small at 2.4MW. However, due to the nature of the modular type, it is easy to make large-scale expansions in the future by adding parts as needed, and it is reported that there are actual expansion plans. Furthermore, despite its small scale, it will be operated as an advanced data center capable of accommodating Nvidia's latest AI chip, the 'Blackwell' graphics processing unit (GPU). The ripple effect carried by the Samsung brand, which leads the global semiconductor market, is also expected to be significant.
An official from Chuncheon City said, "As we set the first administrative goal of the 9th term of popular election to attract the advanced AI industry, and the leading task was also set to attract AI data centers, this project is in line with this, and we plan to provide active support."
