Invest Korea Summit Draws Record US$2 Billion in AI, Chip Pledges

Seven global companies have pledged a combined US$2 billion in new investment in South Korea, the largest commitment in the 22-year history of the Invest Korea Summit, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) said, The Korea Times reported on Wednesday (Nov 4).

The pledges, announced as the three-day Invest Korea Summit 2026 opened in Seoul, span semiconductors, advanced materials, artificial intelligence (AI) data centres and renewable energy. The summit is jointly hosted by KOTRA and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.

According to the report, about 97 per cent of the pledged funds are earmarked for regions outside the Seoul metropolitan area.

Chipmakers and AI data centres

Several of the projects are tied to the semiconductor supply chain. US-based Amkor Technology, which the report described as the world’s second-largest semiconductor assembly and testing company, plans to expand its advanced packaging plant in Gwangju.

Germany’s Henkel will set up a research and development centre for advanced packaging materials used in high-bandwidth memory chips, strengthening its collaboration with Korean chipmakers. Japan’s Tokyo Electron plans a facility for semiconductor equipment and materials manufacturing, while France’s Air Liquide is investing in specialty gases used in chip production.

UK-based AI infrastructure company Nscale is planning an AI data centre. On the energy side, Singapore’s Gurin Energy and Norway’s Deep Wind Offshore have projects in renewable power generation.

The report did not give a breakdown of the amount committed by each company.

Invest Korea: Record turnout

The event brought together 267 foreign investors and companies and around 2,000 business officials. A record 11 local governments presented regional growth strategies, projects and incentives at an investment promotion forum held as part of the summit.

Executives from Amazon Web Services Korea, Deep Wind Offshore and Dexterity took part in the main international conference, where discussions covered AI adoption, data centre expansion and clean energy demand. Panellists also looked at how Korea’s manufacturing base could complement “physical AI” technologies, and at business opportunities linked to government-led megaprojects.

KOTRA president and chief executive Kang Kyung-sung said the pledges “demonstrate global companies’ confidence in the Korean economy,” and described the country as an attractive destination for the AI transformation of manufacturing, citing its manufacturing base, industrial data and investment environment.

What’s next

Because the summit focused on regional investment, many of the major projects are expected to be located outside Seoul, the report said. Kang said Korea would work to expand its economic territory by linking foreign investment with industrial and regional growth and wider global cooperation.

No timelines for the start of construction or completion of the projects were given.

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