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Data centers the new NIMBY target as Korea fights to keep up in AI race

Published: 07 Apr. 2026, 07:00

The server room at the Naver Gak data center in Sejong [NAVER]

Korea's efforts to keep up in the AI race are running into roadblocks as residents dig their heels in against data centers, key infrastructure for the AI economy, moving into their neighborhoods.

On Friday, dozens of residents gathered outside a construction site in the Doksan-dong neighborhood of Geumcheon District, southern Seoul, holding signs demanding the immediate halt to the construction of an eight-story data center that proceeded without their approval.

A briefing session organized by the district office on March 8 ended in disorder after strong opposition from residents. A petition posted on the National Assembly's public board on Tuesday calling for tighter standards for data centers drew more than 1,000 signatures within five days.

Similar resistance has emerged in Yangpyeong-dong, Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, as well as Dohwa-dong, Michuhol District, Incheon, and Gwangseok-dong, Siheung, Gyeonggi, delaying multiple planned projects.

A data center project in Gurae-dong, Gimpo, Gyeonggi, has faced a delay since construction was approved in 2021, due to civil complaints. In Anyang, Gyeonggi, a similar project was scrapped entirely following strong opposition.

As major economies compete to secure data centers to lead in AI development, Korea has struggled to keep pace amid NIMBYism — the not-in-my-backyard sentiment that often haunts new construction projects. Residents have raised concerns about noise, the possible side effects of electromagnetic waves and the risks of fire or power outages.

A petition opposing the construction of a data center in Doksan-dong, Geumcheon District, southern Seoul, is posted on the National Assembly petition board on March 31. [NAM SOO-HYOUN]

However, the issue is not simply local opposition. The concentration of data centers in densely populated areas has contributed to repeated conflicts.

Out of 165 data centers nationwide in 2024, 99, or 60 percent, were located in the greater Seoul region, according to the Korea Data Center Council (KDCC). Among privately operated facilities, 70 out of 93, or 75.3 percent, were also concentrated in the region.

“The risks of electromagnetic waves from data centers require further research, but noise is clearly a major issue,” Seok Kwang-hun, a source from Energy Transition Forum Korea, said. “In densely populated areas like the capital region, such projects are bound to spark conflict. In parts of the United States, the growing number of data centers is also fueling stronger local opposition.”

Experts call for the urgent dispersal of data centers to less populated regions, as local governments outside the capital region and candidates in local elections are actively seeking to attract such facilities.

“While data centers tied to real-time services such as search, messaging or financial transactions should remain in the capital region, others should be relocated to noncapital areas under a two-track approach,” said Choi Byoung-ho, a research professor at Human-Inspired AI Research, a lab at Korea University. “Authorities should also consider fostering talent in cooperation with regional universities and supporting power and telecommunications infrastructure costs."

A render of an AI warning sign [GETTY IMAGES]

“Data centers, which consume large amounts of electricity, need economic incentives to move outside the capital region,” Yoo Seung-hoon, a professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, stated. “A region-based electricity pricing system that reflects local power supply conditions should be implemented quickly, and incentive packages such as tax benefits and land provision are essential if centers relocate to areas with abundant energy resources, such as renewable or nuclear power."

Yoo also emphasized the need for greater transparency to improve public acceptance.

“The government and operators should establish a constant monitoring system for electromagnetic waves and heat emissions through a trusted third-party institution and disclose the results transparently,” Yoo stated. “There is also a need to shift toward a profit-sharing model that benefits local communities, such as using waste heat from data centers for district heating or opening cultural and educational facilities within the centers.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY NAM SOO-HYOUN [[email protected]]