Declaration of a "National All-Out Effort" by the Public and Private Sectors for a Transformative Leap in the Republic of Korea through AI

- President Yoon held the inaugural ceremony and the first meeting of the Presidential Committee on AI (PCAI)

- Launch of the PCAI for Advancing as One of the Top Three Countries for AI

- Discussion on Policy Direction of the "National AI Strategy," Private Sector AI Investment Plans, and Industrial AI Transformation Transition Plans

President Yoon Suk Yeol presided over the inauguration ceremony and the first meeting of the Presidential Committee on AI (PCAI) this morning (Thursday, September 26) at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, where the historic Go match between Lee Sedol and the AI AlphaGo took place eight years ago.

This meeting was organized under the slogan of “Transformative Leap of Republic of Korea” to widely announce the launch of the PCAI, which will serve as the central body for establishing national AI policy, and to present the national AI vision and blueprint to the public.

Last April, during the announcement of the ‘AI-Semiconductor Initiative,’

President Yoon revealed plans for the first time to establish the PCAI under his direct supervision. Accordingly, the committee is chaired by the President and consists of thirty private sector members appointed based on their expertise and leadership in the field of AI, ten government members at the ministerial level from key departments, the Senior Secretary for Science and Technology at the Office of the President (who serves as the secretary at the PCAI), and the 3rd Deputy Director of the National Security Office. The committee is expected to play a key role for the partnership between the public and private sectors in coordinating the nation's innovation capabilities.

At the inauguration ceremony, the President awarded letters of appointment to the vice chairman and heads of each subcommittee:

▲ Vice Chairman: Yeom Jaeho, President of Taejae University

▲ Chair of the Technology and Innovation Subcommittee: Prof. Cho Sung-Bae, Yonsei University

▲ Chair of the Industry and Public Subcommittee: Go Jin, former Chairman of the Presidential Committee on the Digital Platform Government

▲ Chair of the Talent and Infrastructure Subcommittee: Prof. Kim Sun, Seoul National University

▲ Chair of the Law and Regulation Subcommittee:

Kang Min-goo, CEO of Doul Law Firm; and

▲ Chair of the Safety and Trust Subcommittee: Prof. Oh Hye-Yeon, KAIST.

In his opening remarks, President Yoon declared a grand vision of becoming one of the "top three AI powerhouses" and announced a "national all-out effort" to achieve this. He stated that the PCAI will lead this transformation, playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of AI in our country.

President Yoon emphasized that as AI becomes crucial for national capability and economic growth, major countries are fiercely competing for dominance in AI technology. The President noted that since April, an AI-Semiconductor Initiative has been underway to dominate the future AI semiconductor market. He also highlighted the establishment of the "Korea-U.S. AI Working Group" and the opening of the "Global AI Frontier Lab" for joint research and development between Korea and the U.S. as achievements from the recent Summit.

President Yoon pointed out that various issues stemming from the digital divide, such as human rights violations through fake news and deepfake technology, are emerging as threats to liberal democracy. He noted the initiation of the "New York Initiative" in 2022 to address these challenges and highlighted his discussions on digital divide solutions at the UN General Assembly last September, as well as efforts to establish a "Digital Bill of Rights." Building on this, the President hosted the AI Seoul Summit in May, which resulted in the "Seoul Declaration," emphasizing the three principles of safety, innovation, and inclusivity.

President Yoon also announced plans to establish a ‘National AI Computing Center’ through joint public-private investment and to drive the AI transformation across industries and society, encouraging further private sector investment in AI. Moreover, he expressed his determination to progressively reform regulations, such as those related to copyright and privacy protection, to ensure they safeguard core values without becoming obstacles to innovation. He reaffirmed that the country would advance as one of the top three AI powerhouses by establishing detailed strategies and implementing them rigorously across all areas, including research and development, infrastructure, and legal frameworks.

During the first meeting, Yeom Jaeho, President of Taejae University and newly appointed Vice Chairman of the PCAI, presented the "Vision and Mission of the PCAI." Yoo Sang-Im, Minister of Science and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), outlined the policy direction of the ‘National AI Strategy,’ while Kwak Noh-jung, CEO of SK Hynix, presented the private sector’s AI investment plans and policy suggestions to the government. Finally, Park Sungtaek, Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, introduced the strategy for industrial AI transformation.

In the following discussion, participants engaged in various topics aimed at enhancing Korea’s AI capabilities, including support for Expanded private sector AI investment, securing infrastructure and talent for the AI era, nationwide AI transformation, ensuring AI safety and security, and resolving issues related to data copyright and privacy.