South Korea announced that the country is exempt from the Biden administration’s newly updated export controls on advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips and AI models. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) unveiled these measures on Tuesday, tightening restrictions on AI exports to safeguard national security. South Korea joins 17 other countries in retaining unrestricted access to U.S.-origin AI technologies, while export licenses remain required for shipments to countries such as China and Russia. 

The ROK trade ministry emphasized that the exemption ensures no disruption to South Korea’s imports of advanced U.S. AI technologies. It also clarified that South Korean companies exporting U.S.-origin chips to restricted nations would remain subject to BIS licensing requirements.