Google to Open First Overseas AI Campus in Korea, Sending at Least 10 Researchers

South Korea is pushing to become a top-three global AI power alongside the United States and China. The government’s K‑Moonshot program aims to boost research productivity and apply AI to national challenges such as biotechnology, energy, space and semiconductors. In this push, Seoul has courted major AI firms, inviting leaders like Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind to discuss cooperation.

- Google announced it will open an AI campus in Korea within the current year. - The site will be the first Google AI facility located outside the United Kingdom, where DeepMind’s headquarters sit. - During a meeting with President Lee Jae‑myung, Hassabis agreed to dispatch at least ten Google researchers to the new campus. - A memorandum of understanding signed with the Ministry of Science and ICT outlines joint AI research, skill development and responsible‑use guidelines. - The campus will support Korea’s K‑Moonshot project, which seeks to raise the country’s research output to the world’s fifth‑highest level by 2030.

The campus gives Google a permanent foothold in Northeast Asia, expanding its research network beyond the UK and the United States. For Korea, the presence of DeepMind scientists could accelerate local AI projects and help attract further talent and investment. The collaboration also signals a broader trend of governments partnering with private AI labs to shape national strategies and safety standards.