AI Policy Line Reworked to Speed Up Execution of Three Mega Projects

The government has revamped the core AI policy structure by filling vacant key posts and appointing a new aide dedicated to mega projects. It strengthened the AI policy leadership and created a new post for an aide in charge of the three mega projects for a great leap forward for the Republic of Korea.

The presidential office on the 30th announced the appointments of Ha Jung-woo, Lee Hae-min and Lee Won-joo. As a result, the key AI policy posts that had been vacant were filled, and a dedicated aide for the mega projects was also separately assigned.

The roles were divided in line with a shift toward execution at the center of the national AI strategy. Ha Jung-woo, standing vice chair of the National AI Strategy Committee, will handle the nation's mid- to long-term AI strategy; Lee Hae-min, senior presidential secretary for future AI planning, will coordinate policy at the presidential office; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon will lead major AI projects; and Lee Won-joo, the aide for mega projects, will support the push for the three mega projects.

The three mega projects cover semiconductors, physical AI and AI data centers (AIDC). With these appointments and the new post, the policy execution framework linking the National AI Strategy Committee, the presidential office and relevant ministries has been reinforced.

In a Facebook post on the day, the vice chair outlined a vision to integrate individual AI projects into a national strategy. The focus of the vision is to connect AI projects separately pursued around the country's existing industrial strengths into one national strategy.

The domestic industrial bases targeted for use were memory semiconductors, manufacturing, frontier AI and power infrastructure. The goal is to expand South Korea's position in the global AI supply chain. The vice chair said that if these strengths are linked into the national AI strategy, the Republic of Korea can leap forward as a leader in the AI era and become an indispensable country in the global AI core supply chain.

To that end, the vice chair set as immediate tasks the upgrade of the mid- to long-term AI G3 strategy, the three mega projects and the seven AI-based SEED projects. He also said he intends to push for an upgraded version of the mid- to long-term strategy for achieving AI G3.

He also pointed to regional AX, or AI transformation, and youth growth through AI as directions for expanding the policy scope. The goal is to increase public perception of the effects of AI investment and industrial growth. The vice chair said he would push ahead at speed to create outcomes that people can feel.

The presidential office assigned the senior secretary Lee the role of linking the national AI strategy with industry and public services so that it does not remain just an investment plan but leads to changes on industrial sites and in services for the public. It decided to avoid simply expanding AI investment and instead pursue cross-ministerial policy coordination, with the goal of driving tangible change for companies and the public.

In a Facebook statement, Lee said he would serve as a control tower for driving industrial innovation and service changes that people can feel under the national AI strategy. He also said that strengthening national power through AI has moved beyond the declaration stage and into the execution stage.

The presidential office established a new aide for mega projects and created a line in the office for large-scale industrial projects. The aide will support the push for the three mega projects centered on semiconductors, physical AI and AIDC, and the three areas will be advanced as separate projects.

However, the three areas are structured to move in close coordination. Expanding AIDC requires support from the power grid and semiconductor supply, while fostering physical AI in manufacturing requires the simultaneous securing of AI models, semiconductors and data infrastructure.

The need for joint coordination between industrial and energy policy grew as major issues related to power supply and grid expansion emerged during the expansion of AIDC and the semiconductor industry. In that context, attention also focused on the aide's experience across industrial and energy policy and its relevance to the project structure.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik described the aide nominee as a seasoned bureaucrat with key experience in the energy and industrial sectors. He also stressed that the nominee had accumulated expertise, proven problem-solving ability and was the right person to ensure the success of the Republic of Korea's mega projects.

This has led to a structure in which the government's AI policy roles are being more clearly divided. The National AI Strategy Committee will handle the mid- to long-term direction, the presidential office's senior secretary for future AI planning will coordinate cross-ministerial policy, and relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Science and ICT will handle individual projects. The aide for mega projects will support the execution of large-scale projects.

The government is pursuing AI projects spanning multiple ministries and sectors, including the Ministry of Science and ICT's independent AI foundation model project, "Everyone's AI," AI infrastructure expansion, public and regional AX, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's M.AX, while the three mega projects centered on semiconductors, physical AI and AIDC are also being added. The vice chair emphasized outcomes that people can feel, while the senior secretary emphasized execution.

The next task, accordingly, is being set by the speed at which the results of each project spread to industrial sites and public services. The next challenge for the new AI policy line is also presented as whether it can be connected to industrial competitiveness and service transformation.

Source: TECHWORLD · Kim Seung-ki
Original: https://www.epnc.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=406245

References

• https://www.epnc.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=406245