- Mandate includes deliberation and resolution on national AI policy, inter-ministerial coordination of AI programs, implementation monitoring, and performance management
- Committee approves the direction of the “Korea AI Action Plan,” structured around three policy pillars and twelve strategic domains to deliver the new administration’s AI strategy
- Committee approves the promotion plan for the National AI Computing Center and is briefed on the approach to subordinate legislation under the AI Basic Act
The National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy Committee (Chair: President Lee Jae-myung; Full-time Vice Chair: Im Moon-young; hereinafter the Committee) was officially launched on Monday, September 8, with its inaugural ceremony and 1st Plenary Meeting held at Seoul Square (17th floor) starting at 2:00 p.m.
Date/Time & Venue: Monday, September 8, 2:00–3:00 p.m. / Seoul Square, 17th floor
Significance: Formal launch of the nation’s AI command center (control tower) and presentation of the implementation direction for the Korea AI Action Plan to realize the vision of “advancing into the global top three in AI.”
Attendees: Approximately 50 participants including the President (Committee Chair); ministers from key ministries; and Im Moon-young, President of Future Transition (full-time Vice Chair).
At the ceremony, letters of appointment were presented to private-sector members. In particular, Vice Chair Im Moon-young and the chairs of the eight subcommittees received their appointment certificates on behalf of the private members: (1) Technology Innovation & Infrastructure, (2) Industrial AI Transformation (AX) & Ecosystem, (3) Public-Sector AI Transformation (Public AX), (4) Data, (5) Society, (6) International Cooperation, (7) Science & Talent, and (8) Defense & Security.
A total of 34 private members were appointed today and assigned across the eight subcommittees. Together with additional subcommittee members to be appointed, they will support policy planning, deliberation, and coordination within their respective domains.
Subcommittee chairs and roles are as follows:
(1) Technology Innovation & Infrastructure — Chair: Shin Jin-woo, Chair Professor, Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI, KAIST.
Mandate: Formulate strategies for AI R&D and infrastructure investment; expand AI infrastructure such as data centers; secure advanced AI and AI-semiconductor technologies.
(2) Industrial AI Transformation (AX) & Ecosystem — Chair: Joh Joon-hee, Chairman, Korea AISoftware Industry Association.
Mandate: Support AI transformation across industries; foster AI startups and entrepreneurship; strengthen public–private collaboration to enhance industrial competitiveness and scale up AI companies.
(3) Public-Sector AI Transformation (Public AX) — Chair: Park Tae-woong, Chairman, Green Paper Forum.
Mandate: Drive AI-based administrative service innovation; enhance public safety via AI in disaster response, defense, and policing; automate/streamline internal government operations; promote AI adoption by local governments; advance public-sector cloud adoption and improve work environments.
(4) Data — Chair: Paek Eun-ok, Professor, Department of Computer Science, Hanyang University.
Mandate: Activate data trading and distribution across public and private sectors; promote data sharing in industries such as manufacturing and healthcare; support data construction for next-generation AI.
(5) Society — Chair: Yoo Jae-yeon, Professor, Global Social Innovation Foundation, Hanyang University.
Mandate: Address societal changes from AI across education, labor, economy, and culture; strengthen nationwide AI literacy and utilization; improve accessibility and narrow gaps; disseminate ethical AI principles to build a healthy AI society.
(6) International Cooperation — Chair: Oh Hye-yeon, Professor, School of Computing, KAIST.
Mandate: Lead development of international AI norms and cooperation; establish domestic laws and systems for AI safety and trust; secure international interoperability and standards.
(7) Science & Talent — Chair: Seok Cha-ok, Professor, Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University.
Mandate: Reform curricula to cultivate core AI talent; align talent development and hiring policies; attract top overseas AI talent; leverage AI in basic-science research; promote AI-convergence research and open/shared scientific data.
(8) Defense & Security — Chair: Sim Seung-bae, Chief, AI and Information Planning Division, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA).
Mandate: Strengthen national defense and security through AI R&D and infrastructure; bolster force enhancement and modernization of command-and-control using AI; reinforce security frameworks for AI.
To ensure rapid execution of Committee decisions and facilitate inter-ministerial coordination, the Committee will also operate the Council of Chief AI Officers. In line with the Presidential Decree on the Establishment and Operation of the National AI Strategy Committee (effective September 4) and the Committee’s Rules of Procedure adopted today, the Council will be composed of vice-minister–level Chief AI Officers from each ministry. The Senior Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning will serve as Chair, and the head of the Committee’s support unit will serve as Secretary.
Agenda of the 1st Plenary Meeting
The Committee considered:
Implementation direction of the Korea AI Action Plan;
Promotion Plan for the National AI Computing Center to build the AI Highway;
Approach to subordinate legislation under the AI Basic Act; and
Rules of Procedure of the Committee.
1) Implementation Direction of the Korea AI Action Plan
As the first agenda item, the Committee received a report on the implementation direction of the Korea AI Action Plan, designed to realize the new administration’s vision of advancing into the global top three in AI. The Plan is structured around three policy pillars and twelve strategic domains:
< Korea AI Action Plan — Policy Directions >
Vision
“Genuine growth,” “Improving the quality of life for all citizens,” “Contributing to humanity and the international community”
Goal
“Leap into the world’s top three AI powers”
Principles
Human-centered, inclusive AI
Public–private partnership (“One Team”)
AI-friendly systems
Balanced AI development
Three Policy Pillars
1. Building an AI Innovation Ecosystem
① Build the AI Highway (GPUs, data, etc.)
② Secure next-generation AI technologies
③ Cultivate core AI talent
④ Develop home-grown AI models
⑤ Advance AI regulatory innovation
2. Nation-wide AI Transformation
⑥ Industrial AI Transformation (AX)
⑦ Public AI Transformation (AX)
⑧ Regional AI Transformation (AX)
⑨ AI-powered cultural leadership
⑩ AI-powered defense leadership
3. Contributing to a Global AI-enabled Society
⑪ Promote an AI-enabled society
⑫ Advance the Global AI Initiative
The Committee will compile the full Korea AI Action Plan—covering flagship tasks in the twelve strategic domains and detailed implementation tasks by each ministry—by November and announce it publicly.
2) Promotion Plan for the National AI Computing Center to build the AI Highway
To lay the foundation for the AI ecosystem and strengthen national AI competitiveness through the AI Highway, the government will jointly promote the establishment of a National AI Computing Center across relevant ministries. Given the high costs and demand uncertainty inherent in large-scale AI infrastructure, the project will proceed under a public–private partnership (PPP) by establishing a special-purpose company (SPC)—leveraging a government “pump-priming” investment to catalyze private investment and harness private expertise.
The goal is to secure more than 15,000 cutting-edge GPUs by 2028, invigorating the domestic AI ecosystem, and to continue expansion through 2030, contributing to the broader target of 50,000 GPUs for the AI Highway.
To address private-sector concerns and enhance autonomy, tender requirements will be revised—raising the private equity share from 49% toward 70%, removing put-option obligations, and adjusting the requirement to adopt domestic AI semiconductors*. In addition, to ensure stable operations and achievement of policy goals, the government will support demand-linked budgeting for public programs, expanded integrated investment tax credits (up to 25%), and expedited power system impact assessments.
* The prior obligation to source 50% domestic AI semiconductors by 2030 will be removed; instead, domestic AI-chip adoption will be promoted through public–private cooperation.
** The integrated investment tax credit will be revised to include AI-service data centers as national strategic technology facilities, with an expanded rate of 15-25%, up from the previous 1-10%.
3) Approach to Subordinate Legislation under the AI Basic Act
Ahead of the January 2026 enforcement of the Basic Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and the Establishment of Foundation for Trustworthiness (the AI Basic Act), the Committee was briefed on the approach to subordinate legislation. Passed by the National Assembly in December last year, the Act promotes the AI industry while establishing a foundation for safety and trust. Reflecting this intent, the Ministry of Science and ICT has drafted subordinate statutes and guidelines through extensive consultations with industry, academia, civil society, relevant ministries, and other stakeholders.
The subordinate legislation will clarify eligibility, criteria, and specifics for support defined in law—covering AI R&D, training-data construction, AI adoption and utilization, specialized talent, overseas expansion support, special support for SMEs, and more—and will set designation criteria and procedures for AI clusters. It will also concretize and clarify the scope and content of the Act’s minimum obligations for AI safety and trust—including testing and certification, transparency and safety, assessment of high-impact AI and provider responsibilities, and AI impact assessments—thereby reducing uncertainty for companies and eliminating duplicative or overlapping regulations in coordination with other ministries.
The government is also preparing guidelines to remove interpretive uncertainty. These will offer practical, reasonable methods and case examples for complying with obligations, encouraging voluntary participation and contributing to the safety-and-trust framework. In particular, guidelines on high-impact AI will detail sector-specific criteria and examples of high-impact AI to alleviate business uncertainty.
To help the system settle smoothly in the early enforcement phase, the government will operate a grace period for administrative fines (functionally similar to a temporary lifting of regulations) with details to be finalized through public input. During the grace period, consulting and cost support will be provided to help firms meet transparency and safety obligations. The draft Enforcement Decree will be finalized after stakeholder consultation in September and pre-announced in early October. Related notices and guidelines will be released alongside the decree and continuously refined through public feedback.
Vice Chair Im Moon-young stated:
“As Korea’s top-level strategic body for AI, the National AI Strategy Committee will operate as a mission-driven organization that harnesses collective intelligence to lead in an era of global economic leadership. We will combine the public sector’s values with the private sector’s efficiency, take a forward-looking and flexible approach, and prioritize speed and measurable outcomes.”
He added:
“For major AI policies—including the Korea AI Action Plan—the Committee will engage in ongoing planning and coordination through subcommittees and special task forces. We will maintain close communication with the responsible ministries, support inter-ministerial collaboration, and conduct on-site inspections with ministers to assess implementation. Through this process, we will ensure steady and results-driven progress toward Korea’s goal of becoming one of the world’s top three AI powers.”
For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Please refer to the attached PDF.