South Korean Deputy Prime Minister Says AI Data Center Regulation Needs Observation After U.S. Midterm Elections

South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Lee Hae-ahn stated during a full meeting of the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts that following the Democratic Party's victory in the U.S. midterm elections, there are concerns in the market regarding stricter regulation of AI data centers. However, he noted that there are currently no special circumstances and that observation is needed for a period of time. This statement was made in response to a question from an opposition party member regarding whether the first investment project in the U.S., a gas power plant, would be affected by political pressure. The first deputy minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT indicated that if U.S. data center investments are hindered, large-scale data center operators may turn to South Korea, viewing the changes in the U.S. as an opportunity. The government is closely monitoring the situation and paying attention to its impact on the data center-related industries and the reactions from the U.S. industrial sector. Lee Hae-ahn also mentioned that the recent controversy surrounding NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang will not affect the agreed GPU supply, and related projects will proceed smoothly without any issues.