South Korean telecom KT Cloud commits to 1 gigawatt of AI data-center capacity by 2031.

KT Cloud announced plans to supply more than 1 gigawatt (GW) of AI Data Center (AIDC) infrastructure across over 20 locations nationwide by 2031. The strategy involves expanding regional clusters by developing customer-tailored AIDCs in the capital region and globally connected AIDCs in non-capital regions.

The roadmap was unveiled on September 15 at the “KT Cloud Summit 2026” at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. During the event, Choi Ok-jin, head of KT Cloud’s Data Center division, presented the AIDC supply roadmap. The initiative positions KT Cloud as an “AX Infrastructure Partner,” leveraging its cloud and AIDC capabilities to support customers throughout the entire AI Transformation (AX) lifecycle.

To execute this vision, KT Cloud will deploy next-generation technologies including liquid cooling and ultra-high-density power systems, alongside an AI-driven intelligent operations platform. The company also intends to improve data center stability and operational efficiency by integrating digital twins, robotics, and Open Compute Project (OCP) open standards.

In the cloud segment, KT Cloud will advance its “Composite AI” business model, which unifies multi-hybrid cloud environments into a single execution framework that connects data, computing resources such as GPUs and NPUs, AI models, applications, and agents. Furthermore, the firm aims to interconnect regional AIDCs into a cohesive infrastructure using KT’s ultra-low-latency backbone network.

Kim Bong-kyun, head of KT Cloud, emphasized the integrated approach: “We will combine KT Group’s accumulated cloud and AIDC technologies, operational experience, AX core infrastructure, and partner companies’ specialized technologies. We will support customers from strategy development to infrastructure construction, operation, and advancement, ensuring AX leads to tangible business outcomes.”

This commitment follows earlier remarks by KT CEO Park Yoon-young, who announced during his inaugural press briefing that the company would invest 5 trillion Korean won over the next five years to develop a 1GW-scale AIDC independent of government mega-projects. As growth in legacy communication services—including smartphones, high-speed internet, and IPTV—slows, South Korea’s ICT sector regards AIDC investment as essential for long-term competitiveness and survival.