# Lee calls on Anthropic CEO to scale up AI investment in Korea > Source: > Published: 2026-07-24 23:07:28+00:00 President Lee Jae Myung called on Anthropic to significantly expand its investment in and cooperation with South Korean companies, pitching the country as an ideal Asian hub for the AI company’s infrastructure, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Lee made the call Friday during a meeting with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in San Francisco, his first official engagement after arriving in the city. The meeting was also the first in a series of one-on-one talks with global technology executives seeking strategic investment partnerships with South Korea, a key supplier of advanced semiconductors used in AI systems. Lee and Amodei discussed cooperation across the AI supply chain, from semiconductors and AI data centers to physical AI, senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing. According to Kang, Lee described South Korea as “the ideal partner to serve as Anthropic’s key AI infrastructure hub in Asia.” “If Anthropic’s world-class AI model capabilities, as demonstrated by Mythos, are combined with South Korea’s strengths in semiconductors and AI data centers, as well as the potential of its large AI consumer market, it would create growth opportunities for both sides,” Lee was quoted as saying. “The Republic of Korea is ideally positioned to serve as a key AI hub in Asia, and I hope Anthropic will significantly expand its investment in and cooperation with Korean companies,” he added, referring to South Korea by its official name. The two sides discussed cooperation on advanced memory chip supplies, large-scale joint investment in AI data centers in South Korea, and the development and use of safe and responsible AI, according to Kang. The talks focused on establishing South Korea as a major base for Anthropic’s AI infrastructure in Asia. Speaking through an interpreter, Amodei thanked the South Korean government for making AI a top policy priority and expressed optimism about expanding cooperation across a wide range of sectors. Amodei underscored that Anthropic placed a high priority on corporate partnerships, saying the company was already working with South Korean businesses across a wide range of sectors and had high expectations for further cooperation. Amodei said the company plans to cooperate with South Korean memory chipmakers on data centers and in other areas, expressing gratitude for their investment in Anthropic. Amodei also said Anthropic had signed multiple memoranda of understanding on AI cooperation with South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT. The agreements cover areas including AI security and testing in the cybersecurity sector, he said. Following his meeting with Amodei, Lee held separate talks with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Broadcom President and CEO Hock Tan. dagyumji@heraldcorp.com