Government Allocates 6.31 Trillion Won to Next Year's ODA Budget... Efforts to Realize 'Global AI-Based Society'

Prime Minister Han Seongsuk is delivering an inaugural address at the second plenary session of the July extraordinary session of the National Assembly held on the 23rd. 2026.7.23 Photo by Hyunmin Kim

The government has set the required budget for next year’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) at 6.3084 trillion won, deciding to expand international development cooperation with a focus on strategic sectors such as healthcare and artificial intelligence (AI).

On July 23, the government, presided over by Prime Minister Han Sung-sook at the Seoul Government Complex, convened the 58th International Development Cooperation Committee meeting and approved the “2027 Comprehensive Implementation Plan for International Development Cooperation,” which includes these details. Next year’s requested ODA budget is 871.2 billion won larger than this year’s.

To improve project efficiency, the government reviewed and restructured projects that had performed poorly or showed low results. As a result, the number of implementing agencies was reduced by four to 33, and the number of projects was adjusted to 1,227, 536 fewer than last year.

By region, the proportion of assistance for the Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will increase, while the share for Asia will decrease. By sector, support for the transportation sector will be reduced, with expanded support for the healthcare sector.

Based on this comprehensive implementation plan, the government plans to request the inclusion of this proposal in next year’s budget bill. It will be finalized after undergoing review by the Ministry of Planning and Budget and a vote in the National Assembly.

Next year’s ODA initiatives will aim to strengthen global crisis response capabilities and focus support on strategic fields such as healthcare, culture, and AI. The government plans to support partner countries’ flood management infrastructure, including dam construction and river improvement. In addition, it aims to expand “proposal-based ODA” and development finance projects to activate private investment.

Furthermore, through designation and management of professional evaluation institutions, the government will enhance fairness and expertise in projects and use AI-based technologies in project management to boost operational efficiency. The government will introduce a project registry system and a records tracking system to all implementing agencies and develop a 2027–2030 multilateral cooperation strategy to strengthen partnerships with international organizations.

At the meeting, the “AI Utilization Development Cooperation Promotion Strategy” was also discussed. With the goal of realizing a “global AI-based society,” the government will support partner countries in establishing AI ecosystems and provide phased assistance, ranging from infrastructure development to the creation of locally customized AI models that match each country’s level of AI adoption and demand.

In particular, the government plans to reinforce cooperation with international organizations, centered on the “Global AI Hub” slated to open in 2027, and actively capitalize on the strengths of domestic AI enterprises.

To this end, it will pursue five key tasks: ▲ supporting the establishment of AI utilization governance ▲ promoting AI convergence projects ▲ expanding country-customized AI projects ▲ strengthening ODA partnerships through AI technology ▲ enhancing the transparency of AI-driven ODA projects.

Prime Minister Han Sung-sook stated, “The vision of a global AI-based society is a new direction for international cooperation to ensure that the benefits of AI progress are used fairly by the whole international community, not just by certain countries or classes,” adding, “From building AI learning datasets to developing problem-solving AI models, we must prepare a support framework to build a global AI inclusive society where no one is left behind.”

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