SK Group announced Monday it plans to invest a combined 2,100 trillion won (US$1,361 billion) under its vision to enhance South Korea's artificial intelligence (AI) value chain, in line with the government's drive to promote balanced regional development. The announcement followed President Lee Jae Myung's unveiling of the government's "three megaprojects" initiative. SK Group plans to invest 1,100 trillion won to establish an "AI memory production belt," connecting the semiconductor cluster in Yongin with Cheongju and the southwestern region, and will establish a new SK hynix Inc. production base in the southwestern region. SK hynix also aims to complete construction of the Yongin cluster by 2033, ahead of the original target of 2045. SK Telecom Co. will undertake a 1,000 trillion-won project to build AI data centers with a combined power capacity of 15 gigawatts. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said the conglomerate will continue efforts to transform South Korea from an "AI consumer" into an "intelligence exporter," adding, "To achieve that, we will rapidly build AI factories in the form of large-scale AI data centers."