# South Korea to Offer Its Entire Population Free AI Access With No Token Limits > Source: > Published: 2026-08-31 07:09:18+00:00 # South Korea to Offer Its Entire Population Free AI Access With No Token Limits According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, South Korea is planning to provide its whole population with free generative AI services as part of an initiative known as "AI for All", the aim being to help people with things like booking medical appointments, finding housing and dealing with their taxes. The program will start its beta testing in September and will then have a wider launch later this year. Under the government-supported plans, users will have unlimited access with no token limits. Seoul has also appointed three technology consortia to offer the services. The aim of the initiative is to increase access to domestic AI and at the same time give the government a greater role in the way in which it is used. ## South Korea's Free AI Services and Government-Backed Computing Power The services are expected to link with government systems rather than operate just as independent chatbots, and residents will be able to use them to book appointments with doctors, look for apartments, and obtain tax advice. Small businesses will be able to work out their taxes and find out if they are eligible for government assistance, while parents will get recommendations regarding educational material. Each consortium intends to launch its own AI application and incorporate generative AI features into its existing products. The three consortia known as Friday consist of groups headed by the country's two major telecommunications companies and the operator of Kakao, one of South Korea's most widely used consumer platforms. Seoul will provide a portion of the computing power required to operate the services. The government intends to allocate up to 512 Nvidia B200 chips among the three consortia and will also assist with the operating costs. The Ministry of Science and ICT has not made public the total cost of the programme. This initiative is part of South Korea's strategy for developing a more robust domestic AI industry and for reducing its dependence on AI systems made in the United States and China; in order to encourage more consumers to choose locally developed AI products, the government is providing its premium-level services freely. ## South Korea's AI Market, Public Funding, and Rollout Timeline There is already a big market for generative AI in South Korea. A government survey carried out this year showed that approximately one-quarter of South Koreans pay for AI services, whereas about 2% of Americans do so, as found in a survey by PNC Bank. Seoul also believes that over 20 million people in South Korea use free generative AI tools. The expansion is supported by a general rise in spending on AI. The administration of President Lee Jae-myung has allocated approximately 10 trillion won, or $7.2 billion, for AI-related expenses in 2026, which is three times the amount set aside the year before. The 'AI for All' program will start its beta testing in September, with a more extensive launch taking place later this year. It is not specified the procedure that residents will have to follow in order to sign up or which of the three consortia will offer its services first. The government has not revealed the total cost of the program, and the exact details of the government-system integrations, including how medical appointments and tax advice will function in practice, have not yet been fully outlined ahead of the beta test.