South Korea passes special law to speed AI data-center expansion
( May 7, 2026, 08:51 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: South Korea’s parliament passed a special law to accelerate the construction and promotion of artificial intelligence data centers, a key part of the government’s push to build AI infrastructure. The Ministry of Science and ICT said Thursday the law will introduce a one-stop approval system with a permit “timeout” mechanism, exempt certain non-capital-region AI data centers from power-grid impact assessments and ease some facility-installation requirements. The law is aimed at speeding investment, attracting large-scale domestic and foreign funding and supporting South Korea’s goal of becoming one of the world’s top three AI powers. It is expected to take effect in February 2027 after cabinet approval, promulgation and a nine-month grace period.Statement is attached (in Korean)....
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