7.6 trillion won will be invested in the Digital New Deal in 2021, three times the amount in 2020.
DNA structure, non-face-to-face infrastructure, and focus on SOC digitalization
Performance review, institutional improvement, and expansion of private-regional cooperation are crucial.


On the 6th, the government held the 8th Korean New Deal Ministerial Meeting and approved the 2021 implementation plan for the Digital New Deal. The Digital New Deal is a national project that will invest a total of 58.2 trillion won (44.8 trillion won from the national budget) by 2025 to accelerate the digital transformation of the domestic economy and society and create approximately 900,000 jobs.

Last year, the government invested approximately 2.4 trillion won in the third supplementary budget for ▲upgrading the DNA economic structure ▲expanding the non-face-to-face infrastructure ▲digitizing SOC (social overhead capital). This year, in order to create tangible results that can be felt by all citizens, a total of 7.6 trillion won will be invested, 5.2 trillion won, 0.6 trillion won, and 1.8 trillion won, respectively, and the project will be managed through performance review, legal and institutional improvement, and private and regional cooperation.

First, the government will establish an information system plan (ISP) to build, open, and utilize 150 additional types of AI training data, open 44,000 more public data, open six new big data platforms, develop AI manufacturing consulting and solutions, build an industrial data platform, support collaboration support centers and data vouchers, and establish a digital integrated platform for the National Institute of Korean History. The government will also establish a public-private joint data control tower and improve data regulations.

To foster the convergence of 5G and AI, 5G equipment and other new growth technology commercialization tax credits will be included, and 5G facility investment tax credits and registration license tax reductions will continue for areas within and outside the metropolitan area's over-congested areas. Furthermore, follow-up legislative tasks for the "AI+X Seven Major Projects" and "Law and System Improvement Roadmap" announced last December will be pursued, and efforts will begin to deploy 6,000 smart factories and develop Level 4 autonomous driving technology.

Next, to build an intelligent government, we will promote the establishment of a mobile driver's license platform and the expansion of AI citizen secretary services. We will also implement pilot projects in five organizations to fully transition government administration to a mobile work environment based on the 5G national network. Additionally, we are pursuing the gradual transfer and integration of 9,500 information systems to public and private cloud centers.

Finally, we will support leading technologies and related companies, such as 6G, next-generation AI, and holograms. We will establish the Smart Korea Fund to invest in companies focused on non-face-to-face interactions, identify 200 promising non-face-to-face startups, provide commercialization funding, and provide 200 AI solution vouchers to support new business development.

In addition, ▲digitization of education to expand the non-face-to-face base (pilot project for textbooks utilizing online content), ▲establishment of a smart medical system (Doctor Answer 2.0), ▲activation of non-face-to-face business (non-face-to-face service voucher), ▲digitization of transportation infrastructure for SOC digitalization (establishment of C-ITS), ▲establishment of a smart disaster prevention system (automatic and remote control system for drainage facilities, establishment of a drone wildfire suppression team), ▲intelligence of urban, industrial complex, and logistics infrastructure (logistics facility sharing platform), etc. are being promoted.

Competition between nations is intensifying by the day. To gain an edge, the digitalization of the economy and society is an inevitable trend. Countless projects have been bundled under the banner of the Digital New Deal. Without tangible results, the Digital New Deal will remain nothing more than a slogan. As the government has stated, the key is to consistently monitor progress, improve laws and systems, and strengthen public-private partnerships. We cannot afford to be negligent.