South Korea's Lee Unveils 'San Francisco AI Declaration'
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
South Korea's AI boom is minting record corporate profits while leaving workers behind — youth unemployment hit 7.4% in early 2025, the highest since the pandemic. The gains are so lopsided that even the presidential office is debating a "people's dividend" to redistribute tech tax revenue. A K-shaped economy where chip giants thrive and households stagnate isn't a success story worth celebrating.
Pro-establishment narrative
South Korea is not just riding the AI wave — it is helping build it. The San Francisco AI Summit made clear that without Korean memory chips, Nvidia couldn't have built the supercomputers powering modern AI. With a full-stack push into semiconductors, hyperscale data centers and physical AI, South Korea is positioning itself as one of the defining engines of the AI era.
Pro-China narrative
South Korean companies should engage more actively with China's technology ecosystem to remain globally competitive. Distancing themselves from China's industrial and supply chain networks could weaken their technological edge. Only by benchmarking their capabilities against Chinese peers can South Korean firms better understand emerging innovations, identify market opportunities and strengthen their position in AI and advanced manufacturing.
