Naver’s latest data center powers up

Naver Labs’ self-developed automation robot ‘GaRo’ [Courtesy of Naver Labs]

Naver’s second in-house data center, ‘Gak Sejong,’ which opened on Monday, is offering a glimpse into Naver’s ambitious future ventures, including generative artificial intelligence (AI), cloud services, and robotics. In contrast to the company’s first data center, ‘Gak Chuncheon,’ which opened in June 2013, and primarily served Naver’s portal services, the latest data center is poised to become the backbone of the company’s business-to-business (B2B) operations, focusing on the cloud and more.

Gak Sejong is currently Korea’s largest hyperscale data center, boasting a wealth of expertise acquired from Gak Chuncheon’s uninterrupted and accident-free operation over a decade. The new facility, built on a 294,000-square-meter site, is designed to supply a colossal 270 megawatts of power, which is 6.75 times Gak Chuncheon’s capacity.

Gak Sejong’s infrastructure can also accommodate up to 600,000 server units after further expansion, making it Korea’s largest single-enterprise data center and allowing Gak Sejong to store up to 65 exabytes of data, or the equivalent of about one million times the data volume of the entire National Library of Korea.

During the opening event held on Monday, Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon emphasized the importance of hyperscale data centers in the age of technological innovation. “Recent advancements in data and cloud-based technology have made hyperscale data centers a critical infrastructure for technological innovation. Naver, however, has been preparing for hyperscale data centers since the opening of Gak Chuncheon ten years ago.”

Choi added that Naver’s proactive investments in technology and preparation enabled the successful launch of HyperCLOVA X and technology offerings to Saudi Arabia.

“Gak Sejong not only needs to manage more high-spec servers but is also designed to expand up to six times its current size. We have planned and prepared for the future by implementing robotics and autonomous driving to enhance operational efficiency of the new data center,” she said, adding that Gak Sejong would serve as a new reference point for future industries.

Gak Sejong leverages a wide range of Naver’s technology, including AI, robotics, autonomous driving, and digital twin, to improve operational efficiency. Naver Labs’ self-developed automation robots, known as ‘SeRo’ and ‘GaRo,’ take on the essential task of managing and transporting the data center’s core asset servers.

Gak Sejong is also equipped with disaster resilience measures to ensure service continuity in case of incidents such as earthquakes, power outages, or fires. Notably, the facility is constructed with a special-grade seismic design, which applies to both the building structure and server racks, providing protection even against earthquakes reaching a magnitude of 7.0, equivalent to the intensity of the 2011 Fukushima earthquake.