On December 5, 2025, South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy inked a memorandum of understanding with Arm, a chip - design firm under the SoftBank Group umbrella. The purpose of this collaboration is to bolster South Korea's prowess in the semiconductor and artificial intelligence domains.

As per the agreement, Arm is set to establish a chip - design school in South Korea. Drawing on its technological edge, the school will offer systematic training to train around 1,400 local high - end chip - design professionals. This initiative is expected to significantly boost South Korea's capabilities in the system chip business and chip - design sectors.

South Korea has set its sights on becoming one of the top three AI powers globally. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son has pointed out that energy security is a fundamental prerequisite that could either pave or block South Korea's journey towards becoming an AI powerhouse.