Korea, the United States and Japan should jointly develop AI chips with strong power efficiency and cost competitiveness, and also cooperate in next-generation nuclear reactors and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to secure the energy needed to operate AI infrastructure, experts said, as the three countries seek to secure global leadership in artificial intelligence.
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and the Korea-US Association jointly held the 6th Korea-US Industrial Cooperation Conference on Monday, where participants discussed concrete cooperation ideas to build a substantive industrial alliance among the three nations.
In his keynote address, former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Sung Yun-mo said, "The value of Korea-US-Japan industrial cooperation lies in its ability to simultaneously pursue efficiency through economies of scale and scope, and stability through security cooperation and mutual technological complementarity." He stressed that trilateral cooperation carries particular significance in AI, semiconductors, energy and shipbuilding.
Kwon Suk-joon, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, emphasized that the AI ecosystem is shifting beyond pure performance competition toward power efficiency (performance per watt) and cost efficiency (performance per dollar). "Korea, the US and Japan should form a joint R&D platform and standards consortium to secure AI computing infrastructure with high power efficiency, while also jointly establishing an 'Asian IMEC (Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre)' to develop cost-efficient system and memory chips dedicated to data centers," he said. IMEC is a world-class semiconductor research institute based in Belgium.
Proposals also emerged for a "Physical AI Testbed" that combines the strengths of the three countries. Ahn Hong-jun, a director at the Korea Artificial Intelligence and Software Industry Association, proposed combining Korea's manufacturing data, US AI models and supercomputing resources, and Japanese robotics control technology. "Based on joint demonstration outcomes, we could also consider exporting an 'AI full-stack package' to the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America going forward," he added. Lee Se-young, chairman of the Generative AI Startup Association and CEO of Wrtn Technologies, said, "When Korean AI startups expand globally, access to US GPU cloud infrastructure can be very helpful." He stressed the need for an "AI Infrastructure Hub" and a computing credit program that all three countries can jointly utilize.
On the energy security front, cooperation in small modular reactors (SMRs) and LNG was cited as a key task. Cho Hong-jong, a professor at Dankook University, said, "Trilateral cooperation is a matter of survival," emphasizing SMR cooperation that combines US foundational technology, Japanese precision components and financing, and Korean construction and equipment capabilities. He also proposed introducing an "SMR Fast Track" that would shorten licensing periods through mutual referencing of design certifications among regulatory authorities. Jane Nakano, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said, "Korea and Japan are worth considering joint investments not only in US gas field development but also in LNG export infrastructure such as liquefaction facilities, storage, export terminals and loading docks, to secure US energy supplies."
However, the three countries' differing AI regulatory environments were pointed out as an obstacle to cooperation. Hiroki Habuka, senior research fellow at the CSIS AI Center, said, "One of the main bottlenecks blocking AI cooperation among the three countries is that each country's regulatory approach is becoming increasingly divergent." He stressed the need for private-sector-led "regulatory interoperability" to help companies navigate the regulatory environment more efficiently and predictably.
Choi Joong-kyung, chairman of the Korea-US Association, said, "Korea-US-Japan industrial cooperation will become the most powerful industrial alliance in human history," adding that "we must produce tangible results through meticulously designed supply chains and complementary technological cooperation."
Lee Hyung-hee, vice chairman of the Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry and vice chairman of SK, also said, "With the recent restructuring of the international trade order and supply chain system, Korea and Japan, as export-driven nations, have greater incentives to join forces to overcome structural challenges. When cooperation takes place within the Korea-US-Japan alliance framework, it can achieve greater stability and sustainability." He added, "We will strengthen private-sector cooperation so that the industrial ecosystems of the three countries can be more closely connected."
Based on the ideas raised at the conference, the KCCI plans to continue working-level discussions with Japanese economic organizations and other partners.
