Candidate O's 4th Industrial Revolution has technology but lacks people.

This remark, made during a presidential candidate debate on a broadcasting station on the 25th, became a hot topic. This is understandable, as the term "Fourth Industrial Revolution," which is still unfamiliar to many, and the various concepts regarding its meaning were exchanged at the debate table from the mouths of the presidential candidates.

An interesting point of view regarding this upcoming presidential election, which is just around the corner, can also be found in the candidate debates. Unlike previous elections, a diverse range of agendas is emerging in these debates. Of course, there were criticisms that the debates were more entertaining than a comedy show because candidates broke their promises not to engage in negative campaigning, resulting in "negative debates." However, it is undeniably noteworthy that social issues such as homosexuality, the environment, and national security have appeared in the presidential debates.

In particular, it is very encouraging that the topic of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is emerging as a major campaign pledge by the candidates and a key issue in the debates. Let’s briefly quote from the aforementioned debate content further. One candidate (Candidate Ahn Cheol-soo) stated, “The Fourth Industrial Revolution is very different from the First, Second, and Third Industrial Revolutions. The First, Second, and Third Industrial Revolutions were revolutions driven by a single technology, so they could be achieved quickly if the government established a plan, but the Fourth Industrial Revolution is different.” He added, “Because numerous high-tech industries are developing simultaneously and merging in unexpected forms, predicting the future is impossible.” He argued that "if the government takes the lead, it leads to results that are not helpful to the country."

In response, another candidate (Candidate Sim Sang-jung) retorted, “It is true that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is focused on technological convergence, but what is more important is the convergence of technology and society. How will our citizens share the achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and how will we prepare for a situation where the Fourth Industrial Revolution threatens jobs? Candidate Ahn’s Fourth Industrial Revolution has technology but lacks people.”

I am not trying to say here whether any candidate's remarks are right or wrong. Although it was a symbolic statement, I found it refreshing to see someone aspiring to be president discussing and criticizing the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and I hoped there would be more debates like this in the future.

In fact, the discourse surrounding the Fourth Industrial Revolution in our society has not yet been precisely defined. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, often referred to as the "fourth wave," is represented by the term "Digitalization," and its core lies in transforming the existing knowledge-based society (the Third Industrial Revolution) into an intelligence-based society. Consequently, it is said that the term "Digital Transformation" is preferred in the West. It is a comprehensive concept of digitalization that encompasses service models, socioeconomic structures, laws and policies, and cultural barriers for the transition to the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

In other words, it is said that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is not about suddenly creating something new or suddenly making something new, but rather has a greater purpose of fundamentally changing the way we live and work by integrating and interacting existing industrial infrastructure, socio-economic infrastructure, and cultural mechanisms.

In this regard, listening to the 'Government's Fourth Industrial Revolution Policy' at a recent seminar gave me a chance to reconsider this issue. The government aims to advance the industrial structure by centering on 12 new industries, including the systems industry, energy industry, and materials and components industry; however, these are not entirely new industries, as only some concepts have changed. The problem is that the policy intends to focus on deregulation and market creation based on these new businesses, with the goals of smartification, service-oriented transformation, eco-friendliness, and platformization.

Regarding deregulation, they declared that they would prioritize bold deregulation centered on new industries (as if using familiar words). In addition, they emphasized facilitating rapid product launches, providing performance-oriented intensive support, and establishing convergence platforms (as if using very familiar words). In particular, regarding the plan to expand the supply base for key personnel, they also mentioned measures to attract key foreign talent and top Korean talent in new industrial sectors through bold incentives.

The plan is to establish exceptional, top-tier support models tailored to different skill levels, such as granting visa incentives to foreigners managing startups, providing living expenses for foreign researchers, and supporting Korean overseas scholars, professors, and researchers. While this is not the first time such a proposal has been raised, it offers a glimpse into the deep sense of need for outstanding talent.

In the end, I think it is 'people'. The aforementioned presidential candidate’s emphasis on 'people' in the Fourth Industrial Revolution was, of course, intended to place emphasis on basic minimum wage increases and improvements in labor policies regarding irregular workers, but it would not be different from the idea that leading the fourth wave of the Fourth Industrial Revolution must ultimately be centered on people.

Predictions regarding how many jobs artificial intelligence will take away are emerging one after another, underpinned by factors such as population decline and increased productivity. Therefore, I hope that 'people' will be at the center of the upcoming Fourth Industrial Revolution even more. I hope that presidential candidates do not stop at mere policies, but that whoever becomes the new government, it will implement many policies that value people and place them at the center of technology.