AI is Devouring Electricity — The New Survival Equation for Korean Enterprises

At the forefront of global business in 2026, three structural changes are unfolding simultaneously. These are the "energy supply pressure" where AI power consumption tests national infrastructure, the "AI governance realignment" where the US, EU, and South Korea move in different directions, and the "ESG paradox" where carbon reduction mandates and expanded AI investments collide head-on. These three trends are not separate issues. They are a single connected structural pressure that representative Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK, and Naver must respond to simultaneously right now. 1. Electricity is AI Competitiveness — The Reality of Energy Supply Pressure "The speed of laying power lines is slower than the speed of building data centers." The most realistic bottleneck in the 2026 global AI industry is not algorithms or semiconductors, but …