South Korea’s LG CNS, the information technology division of LG Group, has partnered with Canadian startup Cohere to unveil a new large language model (LLM) tailored specifically for the Korean language. This lightweight model, which boasts 7 billion parameters, is engineered to deliver both high performance and cost efficiency, making it suitable for deployment in sectors with stringent data privacy requirements, such as finance and public services. The collaborative effort aims to address growing demand for secure, customizable Artificial Intelligence solutions among Korean enterprises, particularly those seeking to operate cutting-edge technology within on-premise environments.
The newly developed LLM stands out for its compact size, which translates to reduced computational strain and operating costs compared to global hyperscale models that utilize hundreds of billions of parameters. Industry benchmarking shows the LG CNS-Cohere model surpasses five open-source Korean LLMs of a similar scale across 25 different evaluation categories. The architecture is highly compatible with both cloud and on-premise installations, a critical factor for institutions navigating Korea’s strict regulatory landscape in banking and government.
Cohere, founded by former Google artificial intelligence researchers and financially backed by deep learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, brings to the partnership proven experience in enterprise-grade Artificial Intelligence deployments, including for clients like the Royal Bank of Canada. This alliance marks the first time Cohere has collaborated with a Korean firm to launch a Korean-language LLM. Unlike traditional generative Artificial Intelligence, the agentic model is equipped to autonomously plan, reason, and execute tasks, enabling automated decision-making and integration with enterprise systems while reducing the need for human oversight. By introducing this compact and secure alternative, LG CNS aims to strengthen its portfolio — which includes integrations with LG Group’s Exaone, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Meta’s Llama, and Alibaba’s Qwen — and provide a competitive edge for Korean companies looking for homegrown Artificial Intelligence innovation amid heavy investment competition from global Big Tech collaborators.
