"AI Safety Institute" Launched Following the AI Seoul Summit in May

- Strengthening international networks to ensure AI safety and advancing the three pillars of global AI governance: safety, innovation, and inclusion The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT, Minister Yoo Sang-im) hosted the launch ceremony for the “AI Safety Institute" on November 27 at the Global R&D Center in Pangyo.During the AI Seoul Summit held in May, leaders from 10 nations reaffirmed that safety is a core element of responsible AI innovation. They emphasized the establishment of AI safety institutes and highlighted the importance of international cooperation for ensuring safe AI. President Yoon Suk Yeol echoed this sentiment, expressing his commitment to creating the AI Safety Institute as part of a global network aimed at enhancing AI safety. Following thorough preparations regarding its structure, budget, personnel, and functions, the MSIT officially launched the institute.The AI Safety Institute serves as a dedicated organization designed to systematically and professionally address diverse AI risks, including those caused by technological limitations, human misuse, and loss of control over AI systems. Positioned as Korea’s hub for AI safety research, the institute will foster collaboration and information exchange among industry, academia, and research organizations. Additionally, it is a member of the "International Network of AI Safety Institutes" (launched on November 21, with participation from 10 countries) and will play an active role in global efforts for safe AI. The institute’s goals include developing competitive technologies and talent in the AI safety field while advancing policies grounded in scientific research and data.The ceremony gathered key government officials, including: Ryu Kwang-jun, Vice Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Yeom Jae-ho, Vice Chair of the National AI Committee Lee Kyung-woo, Presidential Secretary for AI and DigitalMore than 40 prominent figures from the AI industry, academia, and research sectors also attended. Notable participants included: Oh Seung-pil, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of KT Oh Hye-yeon, Director of the KAIST AI Institute Lee Eun-ju, Director of the Center for Trustworthy AI at Seoul National University Bang Seung-chan, President of the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI)t the event, Professor Yoshua Bengio, a world-renowned AI scholar and global advisor to the National AI Committee, congratulated Korea on the institute’s launch during his keynote speech. He emphasized the institute’s pivotal role in (1) researching and advancing risk assessment methodologies through industry collaboration (2) supporting the development of AI safety requirements, and (3) fostering international cooperation to harmonize global AI safety standards.Elizabeth Kelly, Director of the U.S. AI Safety Institute, commended Korea’s leadership in AI safety, stating, “The global leadership and support Korea has demonstrated for advancing AI safety is deeply appreciated.” She encouraged collaborative efforts between the U.S. and Korean institutes to establish shared scientific standards aimed at mitigating risks, maximizing benefits, and fostering innovation. Similarly, Oliver Illot, Director of the UK AI Safety Institute, and Akiko Murakami, Director of the Japan AI Safety Institute, emphasized the need for cross-border cooperation to ensure safe AI technologies.Kim Myung-joo, the inaugural Director of the AI Safety Institute, presented the institute’s mission and operational roadmap. He stated, “The institute will focus on evaluating potential risks associated with AI utilization, developing and disseminating policies and technologies to prevent and minimize these risks, and strengthening collaboration both domestically and internationally.” Director Kim further stressed, “The institute is not a regulatory body but rather a collaborative organization dedicated to supporting Korean AI companies by reducing risk factors that hinder their global competitiveness.”After the inauguration, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed to form the "Korea AI Safety Consortium." This consortium, consisting of 24 leading industry, academic, and research organizations, will work alongside the AI Safety Institute on key initiatives, including:  Research, development, and validation of an AI safety framework (risk identification, evaluation, and mitigation),  Policy research to align with international AI safety norms, and  Technological collaboration on AI safety. The consortium will refine its research themes and operational plans over time. Member organizations expressed a strong commitment to partnering with the AI Safety Institute.Minister Yoo Sang-im emphasized, “AI safety is not only a prerequisite for sustainable AI development but also one of the most pressing challenges that all of us in the AI field must address collaboratively. In just one year since the AI safety summits in the UK (November 2023) and Seoul (May 2024), major nations—including the U.S., UK, Japan, Singapore, and Canada—have launched AI safety institutes, rapidly forming an unprecedented and systematic framework for global AI safety cooperation.”He further stated, “Through the AI Safety Institute, we aim to unite research capabilities across industry, academia, and research sectors to swiftly build the technological and policy expertise needed for AI safety. This will lay a robust foundation for innovation within Korea’s AI industry. Moreover, we will actively support the institute in taking a leadership role within the international AI safety network, solidifying Korea’s position as the AI safety research hub of the Asia-Pacific region.”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.

MSIT Participates in the International Network of AI Safety Institutes

- Official launch of the "International Network of AI Safety Institutes" in San Francisco, USA (November 20, 2024), with participation from 10 leading nations (including Korea, the U.S., Japan, the U.K., and the EU), reinforcing global cooperation for AI safety.The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), led by Minister Yoo Sang-im, attended the "International Network of AI Safety Institutes" event held from November 20 to 21, 2024, at the Golden Gate Club in San Francisco, USA.This event is a follow-up to the Seoul Declaration, a core agenda of the AI Seoul Summit (May 2024), which emphasized the establishment of AI safety institutes and international cooperation for safe AI development.* During the Summit, President Yoon Suk Yeol reaffirmed Korea's commitment to international AI safety efforts through the establishment of a domestic AI safety institute. In response, MSIT has taken swift action and plans to officially launch Korea's AI Safety Institute later this month. Korea's delegation to the event included Kim Myung-joo, recently appointed Director of the AI Safety Institute (November 12, 2024), to strengthen ties with other international AI safety institutes.*The Seoul Declaration stated: "We support existing and ongoing efforts of the participants to this Declaration to create or expand Al safety institutes, research programmes and/or other relevant institutions including supervisory bodies, and we strive to promote cooperation on safety research and to share best practices by nurturing networks between these organizations."The event brought together AI safety institutes (or equivalent organizations), technical experts in AI safety and representatives from 10 countries, including the U.S., Korea, the U.K., Japan, Singapore, Canada, France, the European Union, Kenya, and Australia. It marked the official launch of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes. Participants discussed the network's mission, operational framework, and technical approaches to AI safety research, testing, and guidelines.The network aims to consolidate global expertise to foster a shared scientific understanding of AI safety risks and their mitigation. Through international research efforts, the network seeks to support the adoption of interoperable principles and best practices. Its core focus areas for global cooperation are: ① Research, ② Testing, ③ Guidance, ④ Inclusion.The two-day event (November 20-21) included in-depth discussions across three core areas:1. Mitigating Risks of Synthetic Content: Sharing best practices and emerging technologies for ensuring transparency in AI-generated content (e.g., watermarking and detection tools).2. Testing AI Models: Discussing methodologies and tools for testing AI models and improving interoperability of testing processes and outcomes.3. Evaluating Risks of Advanced AI Systems: Exploring methods for the quantitative identification and assessment of risks associated with advanced AI systems through the interpretation of experimental results.Korea's delegation presented key domestic achievements in AI safety research, including: "Research on Detection and Suppression of Image Manipulation and Deepfake Generation" by Professor Simon Sung-il Woo of Sungkyunkwan University. "AI Risk Assessment and Verification Framework" by Kwak Joon-ho, Tech & Policy Leader of AI Policy & Research Team, Center for Trustworthy AI(CTA), Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA).These presentations highlighted Korea’s leadership in AI safety research and helped define international research priorities while fostering collaboration with other nations' AI safety institutes.Discussions were held on establishing a governance structure for the sustainable operation of the network. Korea emphasized its commitment by highlighting its successful hosting of the AI Seoul Summit, the upcoming launch of its AI Safety Institute (November 2024), and its proactive support for the network’s governance. Korea expressed its ambition to play a central role in the network's operations.Song Sang-hoon, Deputy Minister of the Office of ICT Policy at MSIT, remarked, "International cooperation on AI safety has been a core agenda of Korea's leadership, as highlighted in the Seoul Declaration (May 2024). The values and principles of the Seoul Declaration have been swiftly realized through the launch of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes, with active participation and support from major countries. This is deeply meaningful."He further stated, "Our government will officially open the AI Safety Institute this month, initiating dedicated research on AI safety. Korea will also actively engage in the International Network of AI Safety Institutes, taking a leading role in advancing global AI safety technologies and norms."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.

Korea Successfully Completes Manufacturing and Delivery of Vacuum Vessel Sectors to ITER

- Completion of vacuum vessel sector procurement, a key component of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)- Early acquisition of critical technologies to accelerate fusion energy demonstrationThe Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Yoo Sang-im, hereinafter "MSIT") announced on November 22 (Friday) that Korea has successfully completed the manufacturing and delivery of the vacuum vessel sectors, a core component of ITER, for its construction and operation.This achievement is expected to serve as a foundation for Korea to secure global leadership in core technologies needed for the future construction of demonstration fusion power reactors by mastering the entire process from design and manufacturing to quality control of the vacuum vessel, a key component of fusion reactors.The ITER vacuum vessel is a key component that sustains the ultra-high-temperature plasma required for nuclear fusion reactions by maintaining a high-vacuum environment. It is composed of nine sectors, four of which are manufactured by Korea. Each sector measures 13.8 meters in height and weighs approximately 400 tons. When all nine sectors are assembled, the structure weighs a total of 5,000 tons.Each vacuum vessel sector is manufactured in four segments, requiring over 1.6 kilometers of welding for assembly. Maintaining precise tolerances of less than a few millimeters ensures the seamless integration of internal components, which demands advanced forming and welding technologies. These challenges make the vacuum vessel one of the most technically complex components in the ITER project.Initially, South Korea was tasked with producing two vacuum vessel sectors under its agreement with the ITER Organization. However, in 2016, an additional agreement was made to produce two more sectors originally assigned to the EU, bringing South Korea’s total responsibility to four sectors. As a result, Korean companies secured overseas contracts worth approximately KRW 120 billion and gained international recognition for Korea's outstanding vacuum vessel manufacturing technologies.In 2020, through close collaboration between MSIT, the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, and domestic companies, Korea successfully delivered the first vacuum vessel sector on time, significantly contributing to the commencement of ITER's main assembly phase. Following this, the second, third, and finally the fourth sectors were successfully delivered in 2021, 2022, and this year, respectively, demonstrating not only high-quality fusion technology but also Korea’s reliability by meeting production deadlines.In addition to the vacuum vessel, MSIT and the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy have supported domestic industries in successfully procuring key ITER components such as superconductors, thermal shields and assembly tools. These accomplishments are anticipated to advance the realization of fusion energy and solidify Korea's global leadership in the field.Meanwhile, the ITER Organization held a ceremony on November 21 (Thursday) at its site in Cadarache, France, to celebrate Korea's delivery of the final vacuum vessel sector. Approximately 200 representatives from seven member countries attended the event, including Pietro Barabaschi, Director-General of the ITER Organization, and Hwang Pan-sik, Deputy Minister for the Office of R&D Policy of MSIT, to commemorate this significant milestone in ITER’s construction.MSIT Vice Minister Lee Chang-yune stated,“We will leverage the core fusion reactor technologies and manufacturing capabilities acquired through our participation in the ITER project to secure leadership in the future demonstration fusion power reactor market and strengthen our global influence. Furthermore, we will actively implement the ‘Strategy to Accelerate Nuclear Fusion Energy Realization,' established on July 22, to ensure that fusion energy becomes a reality through proactive technology development and industrial growth policies.”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.