NHN Cloud Deploys 7,656-GPU AI Cluster in Seoul, Backed by $671 Million Investment
May 13, 2026
NHN Cloud Deploys 7,656-GPU AI Cluster in Seoul, Backed by $671 Million Investment
South Korean IT company NHN Cloud has announced the launch of a large-scale AI computing cluster at its dedicated data center in Yangpyeong-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. The cluster, comprising 7,656 high-performance GPUs, is now operational and available through a GPU-as-a-Service model targeting public sector clients, industry partners, and academic research institutions.
The deployment is a key component of South Korea’s Project to Strengthen the Foundation for Utilizing AI Computing Resources, a national initiative launched in 2025 to boost domestic AI compute capacity. NHN Cloud secured the contract from the Ministry of Science and ICT in July 2025, with plans to deploy Nvidia B200 GPUs as the core hardware. The project represents an investment of approximately one trillion won, or about $671 million.
NHN’s Yangpyeong Data Center was specifically designed to support high-density computing environments. The cluster employs a liquid cooling system that allows the GPUs to be grouped in configurations of up to around 4,000 chips. According to NHN, this cooling solution reduces energy consumption by 15 to 20 percent compared to traditional air-cooled systems. The company currently operates four data centers in South Korea and one in Tokyo, Japan.
This is not NHN’s first foray into GPU infrastructure. The company previously developed the Gwangju National AI Data Center, which also offers GPU-as-a-Service. Additionally, through its NHN Cloud Center Pangyo, the firm provides Blackwell Ultra GPU infrastructure to Krafton, which signed a lease for 1,000 Blackwell Ultra chips in January 2026. Gcore has also partnered with NHN to bring its cloud platform to a data center in Incheon, South Korea, using more than 1,000 GPUs, including Nvidia H100, H200, and GB200 models.
The South Korean government has been aggressively expanding AI infrastructure in collaboration with Nvidia. In October 2025, Nvidia agreed with the Ministry of Science and ICT to deploy 250,000 GPUs across the country. This includes up to 50,000 of the latest chips for the National AI Computing Center and Korean cloud services, while major conglomerates such as Samsung, SK Group, and Hyundai each plan to deploy 50,000 GPUs in their own AI factories. Naver Cloud has also committed to deploying 60,000 GPUs.
NHN Corp. traces its roots to Hangame, a gaming company founded in 1999. After merging with Naver in 2000, the company rebranded as Next Human Network (NHN). In 2013, NHN split into two entities, with Naver Corporation becoming separate. Since 2014, NHN has focused on cloud servers and data centers, while Naver also maintains its own cloud division, Naver Cloud.
Source: datacenterdynamics
