NAVER Cloud Releases First Korean Commercial Open-Source AI Models

Seoul, South Korea—NAVER Cloud announced on Wednesday that it has released three versions of its HyperCLOVA X generative AI model as open-source software for commercial use.

According to a company statement, businesses and research institutions are being allowed to download the HyperCLOVA X SEED 3B, SEExD 1.5B, and SEED 0.5B models.

NAVER Cloud stated that these releases differ from previous AI models from Korean firms, as they permit commercial usage without any cost or licensing restrictions.

"These lightweight models are being released as open source," Yuwon Kim, CEO of NAVER Cloud, said in the statement, adding that they align with the company's "On-Service AI" strategy.

The company described HyperCLOVA X SEED 3B as a multimodal model that processes text, images, and video. 

NAVER claimed the model performed well in benchmarks measuring visual information comprehension related to the Korean language and culture compared to similar-sized models from other countries.

According to the company, the smaller models—SEED 1.5B and SEED 0.5B—feature faster processing speeds and lower operational costs.

NAVER Cloud also announced plans for additional models, including a reasoning model to be released in the first half of 2025 and voice-capable models that enable voice synthesis and analysis.

The statement said Kim characterized sovereign AI development as requiring "national-level comprehensive capabilities" and emphasized the priority of ecosystem building.