Paik Kyunghun: "AI Competition Is a Total National Effort"... Focus on Rapid AX Achievements

Establishing Whole-of-Government Governance Against AI Cyber Threats

"Creating an Environment for Full Immersion in Research"

Paik Kyunghun, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, defined international artificial intelligence (AI) competition as a "total national war," calling for the prompt achievement of AI transformation (AX) outcomes in the public sector. He also pledged that the government would spare no effort in investing in and supporting AI and scientific technologies.

Paik Kyunghoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, attended the Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting held on April 30 at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where he spoke about current issues including the direction of data policy in the era of AI transformation. 2026.4.30 Photo by Jo Yongjun

At the 9th Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting held at the Government Complex Seoul on May 29th, Paik stated, "Over the past year since the launch of the People’s Sovereignty Government, AI and scientific technology have become the core of national administration as well as strategic policy objectives and tools," adding, "As humanity moves beyond simply creating AI to an era of upheaval where AI develops autonomously, it is becoming increasingly important for the nation to strengthen its response capabilities and secure technological sovereignty."

He further emphasized, "AI competition is not limited to model rivalry; it encompasses computing infrastructure, power, data, talent, and systems, making it a total national effort. The government will provide full-scale investment and support for AI and scientific technologies crucial to the nation's future, including AI data centers, semiconductors, and physical AI."

During the meeting, Paik reviewed the progress of AX initiatives and discussed the status and strategies for enhancing AX in each ministry. This is interpreted as an effort to further accelerate AX in the public sector so that citizens can tangibly experience the benefits. The Ministry of Science and ICT, together with other ministries, checked AX progress rates, utilization technologies, and data preparedness levels in 10 key areas for AI application, including manufacturing, healthcare, and agri-food. They also shared updates and challenges regarding AX project implementation and discussed improvement measures.

With this meeting, the government plans to utilize the Ministry of Science and ICT's AX resources and one-stop support programs to streamline the AX project system and enhance both the speed and quality of AX. In addition, the government will focus its capabilities on promoting the use of domestic AI and achieving early AX success stories in various sectors to invigorate the AI ecosystem.

"Removing Unnecessary Administration That Hinders Research Autonomy"

Plans are also being prepared to respond to AI-based cyber threats in the private sector. During the meeting, the "Private Sector Information Security Promotion Plan to Respond to AI-Based Cyber Threats" was discussed. With growing concerns that existing security systems could be compromised by "Mythos," a high-performance AI model from global AI company Anthropic, government-level action is being called for. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced plans to establish whole-of-government governance and cooperation systems to address AI security threats in the private sector, presenting emergency response systems and measures for vulnerabilities and patches. Starting next year, the government plans to completely overhaul the domestic information security system based on proprietary AI technologies and to promptly implement various projects to establish sovereignty in AI security.

Additionally, in order to create a more open research environment, the meeting finalized and agreed to actively promote measures to facilitate shared use of university research facilities and equipment by researchers, as well as plans to integrate research administration systems and implement AI to ease research administration burdens through a national R&D administration system innovation plan. Paik stated, "We will remove unnecessary administrative barriers that hinder research autonomy and creativity, creating an environment where researchers can fully immerse themselves in their work."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.