The South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Wednesday refuted recent rumors that the government is moving to establish a new think tank specifically tasked with coordinating the use of massive profits earned by chip companies from the global artificial intelligence boom.

The ministry stated in a declaration, "The rumors circulating online that Seoul has sent letters to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix demanding the establishment of a government-led think tank related to profit sharing are completely false."

These rumors have emerged as domestic discussions in South Korea are increasingly focusing on how to utilize the additional tax revenue generated from chipmakers' record profits to support long-term growth.

The ministry's statement added, "We will take strong measures against the malicious spread of such misleading information and will refer the matter to investigative authorities."

Last month, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung suggested in an interview establishing a basic income grant, describing it as a way to "distribute some of the excess profits to the public." His remarks referred to recent discussions on how to allocate the enormous profits of chip manufacturers.

The presidential office subsequently clarified that President Lee's comments were not directed at specific companies but rather addressed a challenge South Korea will ultimately face during its AI transition.