Seoul’s free AI plan pushes 80% of usage to Korean models

South Korea will offer free, unlimited generative AI access to every citizen through three telecom-led consortia.

The rules say that at least 80% of the service has to run on Korean models, not on AI systems from the U.S. or China.

SK Telecom will route the assistant into Government24 and the PASS app

The Ministry of Science and ICT named SK Telecom, Kakao, and KT as the operators, with beta testing to start in the coming weeks.

The “AI for All” program covers all 51 million people. Each selected provider must obtain at least half of its service from South Korean sovereign foundation models.

Another 30% must be local models made by companies other than the operator, a clause that prevents any company from relying entirely on its own technology.

The ministry said foreign models are allowed only where it considers them minimally necessary, and the government will not subsidize that segment.

Seoul launched the competition in July, and the three winners were selected from six applicants. The lineup places the country’s two largest telecom operators alongside Kakao, whose messaging app is a default utility of Korean daily life.

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