The government will invest 909 billion won by 2024 to make artificial intelligence (AI) a part of everyday life for all citizens, expanding it across all areas, including daily life, industrial sites, and public administration.

On the 13th, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced the ‘Republic of Korea’s Artificial Intelligence Leap Forward Plan’ directly with Minister Lee Jong-ho at the briefing room of the Seoul main building.


Minister Lee Jong-ho stated that the domestic artificial intelligence industry is growing very rapidly, at an average annual rate of 43%, and explained four policy measures to fully pursue the leap forward as a digital model nation based on our existing ICT capabilities and AI potential.

First, we will strengthen AI industry competitiveness and global cooperation.

To ensure that our country's artificial intelligence reaches the world's highest level, we will pursue global joint research with leading universities in the US, Canada, and the EU starting next year, and we will newly pursue specialized training through the establishment of joint artificial intelligence labs and dispatch of master's and doctoral degree holders.

In addition, we will strengthen cooperation on our AI reliability policies and systems through bilateral consultative bodies and international organizations, and promote cooperation and mutual prosperity in AI through the Korea-ASEAN Digital Innovation Flagship targeting emerging countries such as ASEAN and the Middle East. Expand support for overseas expansion.

Second, to improve public convenience and foster industrial development through large-scale demand creation, relevant ministries will jointly invest KRW 909 billion in 2024 to promote the universal adoption of artificial intelligence.

We plan to expand AI across the nation, including in the daily lives of citizens, industrial sites, and public administration, in collaboration with relevant ministries, to share the benefits of AI with the public and lay a solid foundation for a digitally exemplary nation.

Third, we will establish a digital bill of rights as the basic direction for the new digital order and norms declared through the 'New York Concept (September 2022)' and the 'Paris Initiative (June 2023)'.

The Digital Bill of Rights stipulates the basic principles for a digital shared prosperity society, the rights of citizens that must be guaranteed for its realization, and the responsibilities of each stakeholder. A total of 14 meetings were held with university presidents, academic societies (9), corporate CEOs, and the younger generation to gather broad public opinion. To mark the first anniversary of the New York Initiative, we plan to announce a digital rights bill and share and disseminate it with the international community through the UN, OECD, and other organizations, thereby leading the establishment of global digital norms.

Fourth, we will strengthen AI ethics and reliability to proactively respond to potential risks and side effects resulting from the rapid development of AI technology.

We will develop and disseminate "field-specific autonomous inspection lists and development guides" focusing on security (CCTV) and generative AI-based services, and establish a reliability verification and certification system that evaluates major risk factors and performance that may arise in AI services through a credible third-party organization to support autonomous implementation by the private sector.

In addition to developing core technologies to improve AI explainability and fairness, we will also pursue new technology development starting next year to overcome the limitations of ultra-large AI, such as plausible false answers (hallucination), bias, and unethical and harmful expressions.

Meanwhile, following the announcement, the government held an event titled “Korea’s Giant AI Leap” at the Blue House State Guest House.

About 70 people, including government officials, domestic AI companies, startups and young entrepreneurs, AI researchers and students, participated in the event to make a leap forward as a digital model nation and to fully launch our AI into the global challenge. The event was held in the following order: △AI Young Leaders Dialogue △Introduction of AI Leap Policy Plans △Declaration of Launch of Super-Large-Scale AI △Discussion and Policy Suggestions.

Minister Lee Jong-ho said, “In order to win the fierce digital competition, it is important to increase artificial intelligence technology, industrial competitiveness, and social acceptance together.” He added, “We will steadily promote the national adoption of artificial intelligence, which creates large-scale demand while sharing the benefits of artificial intelligence with the public. In addition, we will actively promote the use of artificial intelligence in daily life across the nation.”“We will actively respond to international trends surrounding digital, strengthen AI ethics and reliability, and establish a digital rights bill to lead the new digital norms and order necessary for the digital era,” he said.