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10 years of operational expertise and future tech capabilities integrated into a hyperscale data center

NAVER’s Second IDC, “GAK Sejong,” Commences Operations, Aspiring to Emerge as a Global Hub Propelling Future Industries

• - Prepared for over 10 years for a future beyond the next decade, GAK Sejong poised to become the engine for future technological innovation

• - Featuring robotic automation, autonomous driving, and self-developed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, GAK Sejong aims to establish itself as a tech convergence data center following NAVER 1784

• - Korea’s premier high-performance computing infrastructure—paving the way for the expansion of cloud and AI business sectors

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November 8, 2023

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Team NAVER has officially launched its second in-house data center, “GAK Sejong,” located in Sejong Special Self-Governing City, marked by an opening ceremony. With GAK Sejong, Team NAVER aims to propel technological innovation and expedite business expansion centered on AI and cloud computing technologies.

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Drawing from a decade of expertise gained from the interruption-free, accident-free, and disaster-free operation at NAVER’s first data center, “GAK Chuncheon,” GAK Sejong incorporates NAVER’s advanced technological prowess in AI, cloud computing, robotics, and autonomous driving. The center is constructed as a hyperscale data center aligned with recent technological advancements.

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During the ceremony, NAVER’s CEO Choi Soo-yeon expressed, “As hyperscale data centers have emerged as key infrastructure for technological innovation in the current era of data and cloud-based technologies, NAVER had a head start with GAK Chuncheon a decade ago.” She attributed NAVER’s success in launching HyperCLOVA X and exporting digital twin technologies to Saudi Arabia to the company’s forward-looking investment and readiness in technology.

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Choi further highlighted, “Designed with a vision for the next decade and beyond, the hyperscale data center GAK Sejong is expected to be an innovation engine, not only for NAVER but all industries.” This underscores NAVER’s proactive investments and GAK Sejong’s significant role in shaping the future technological landscape.

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▲ The largest high-performance computing infrastructure in Korea

Spanning an impressive 294,000 square meters, equivalent to the size of 41 soccer fields, GAK Sejong is equipped to accommodate up to 600,000 server units upon the completion of its sixth expansion phase. This establishes it as Korea’s largest data center under sole ownership by a single company. Notably, it boasts the capacity to store approximately 65 exabytes of data, surpassing the total holdings of the National Library of Korea by a millionfold. In addition, its electrical system is engineered to deliver up to 270 megawatts of power, surpassing the provision of GAK Chuncheon by 6.75 times.

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The scenic view of GAK Sejong

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NAVER CLOUD CEO Kim Yu-won elaborated, “NAVER operates the largest scale of GPUs optimized for high computational tasks, particularly in hyperscale AI, and is the only company in Korea with a massive cluster of supercomputers. Remarkably, the current operational section of GAK Sejong is merely a fraction—one-sixth of the total size. It is designed to scale up its infrastructure and space in line with future technological growth and rise in data volume.”

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Kim expressed confidence in the trajectory of NAVER’s cloud and AI businesses, now entering a new phase with the launch of HyperCLOVA X, which will set the momentum for their expansion across diverse industries and nations with the opening of GAK Sejong.

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▲ Hyperscale data center equipped with cutting-edge technologies

GAK Sejong employs an extensive array of Team NAVER’s technologies, including AI, robotics, autonomous driving, and digital twins, to optimize operational and management efficiency, given its substantial scale. NAVER LABS has developed an automated robotic system featuring “SeRo (Server-managing Robot)” overseeing the servers, which are critical assets within the data center’s IT storage areas, and “GaRo (AMR for Server Delivery)” facilitating the transport of substantial assets between the server room and storage areas to enable real-time monitoring of assets and integrated system management. Furthermore, an autonomous shuttle called ALT-B within the GAK Sejong site facilitates transportation by linking major locations.

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All robots at GAK Sejong seamlessly integrate with the spatial and service infrastructure through NAVER CLOUD Platform’s Artificial Intelligence-Robot-Cloud (ARC) and Adaptive Robot Management-System (ARM-System), providing a comprehensive suite of services. They can precisely locate and navigate the robots even in areas where GPS is inaccessible and oversee the planning and execution of robot movements and tasks, ensuring the stable operation of the data center.

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Choi emphasized, “GAK Sejong gears up to oversee a substantially larger array of high-performance servers and the facility is expected to expand up to six times its current size. Therefore, the integration of robotics and autonomous driving in our operations reflects our proactive approach, laying the groundwork for the coming decade.”

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▲ An eco-friendly data center with enhanced energy efficiency, founded on 10 years of experience

Similar to its predecessor, GAK Chuncheon, GAK Sejong was built as an eco-friendly data center harnessing diverse natural energy sources. Utilizing the self-developed HVAC system named NAVER Air Membrane Unit (NAMU), GAK Sejong uses natural airflow to keep its server rooms cool around the clock. This third-generation air conditioning technology leverages direct and indirect ambient air to maintain optimal temperatures, a strategy refined over a decade of experience starting with GAK Chuncheon and tailored to accommodate the local climatic conditions of Sejong. Furthermore, the heat discharged from cooling the server rooms is repurposed for hot water production, radiant floor heating, and a snow melting system for internal roadways, enhancing the data center’s overall energy efficiency.

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Through these efforts, GAK Sejong aims to achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v4 Platinum certification, a step beyond the LEED v3 Platinum awarded to GAK Chuncheon, which achieved a world-record 95 points in the international green building rating system LEED for data centers. To this end, GAK Sejong has been designed with attention to detail, incorporating environmentally friendly aluminum on its exterior walls.

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▲ A data fortress prepared for any disaster

GAK Sejong stands on the solid foundation of a decade of interruption-free, accident-free, and disaster-free operation at GAK Chuncheon, culminating in a system capable of supplying stable IT services. It is also equipped with an emergency response system to maintain service continuity even in the face of disasters such as earthquakes, power outages, and fires.

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To counteract earthquake risks, GAK Sejong incorporates a premium-level anti-seismic design similar to that applied to nuclear power plants, not only in the building’s structure but also in the server racks. This seismic reinforcement is engineered to withstand earthquakes with intensities reaching 9.0 and magnitudes up to 7.0, comparable to the seismic impact during Japan’s Fukushima earthquake.

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Kim stated, “The escalating focus on Sovereign AI and Cloud has attracted clients from different countries and sectors, intrigued by both NAVER’s AI capabilities and our data center’s size and stability. We envision GAK Sejong as a launching pad for our AI and cloud ventures across diverse industries.”