South Korean President Lee Jae Myung unveiled a record 2027 budget totaling 820.9 trillion won ($610.14 billion), up 12.8%, with 21.3 trillion won for semiconductors, physical AI and AI data centers, nearly double the 2026 level. The government will allocate 4.7 trillion won to a sovereign AI model and train 2,000 specialists in semiconductor design, while expanding AI education and university "contract departments" linked to firms such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Lee said the spending would result in "virtually no net increase in government debt," as new bonds will repay existing debt. Defense spending rises 8.2% to 73.3 trillion won, while the IMF forecasts 3.3% growth for South Korea in 2026. Exports rose 93.7% year on year to a record $115.3 billion in October, with a $42.5 billion trade surplus, and Lee said exports are within reach of $1 trillion annually.
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South Koreabudgetartificial intelligencesemiconductorsexports
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Related tickers and likely impact
NVDA
• NeutralNvidia
Relevance: low
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | Information Technology |
| Industry | Semiconductors |
| Market cap | $5.1T |
| Close on 10/30/2026 | 204.81 |
| Change that session | -4.14% |
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