Republic of Korea: Special Act on Promotion of Artificial Intelligence Data Centres (Bill no. 2215928) including operational license requirement was introduced to National Assembly

On 8 January 2026, the Special Act on the Promotion of Artificial Intelligence Data Centres (Bill no. 2215928) was introduced to the National Assembly. The Act aims to simplify licensing procedures by establishing a centralised window under the Minister of Science and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for the batch processing of permits. Applicants for the construction and operation of these centres may apply through the new process, which mandates that relevant agencies initiate review procedures within a set time frame. The legislation introduces a timeout mechanism that permits are deemed granted if review results are not provided by authorities promptly. Additionally, the Act allows licensed artificial intelligence data centres located outside metropolitan areas to engage in direct electricity trading with large-capacity power sources. These measures intend to facilitate the expansion of infrastructure for machine learning and artificial intelligence development while addressing current institutional inconsistencies regarding power access.