[AI Rulemakers]③Hyungdoo Choi: "Honam Semiconductor Project Revealed Power Reality... Renewed Push to Allow LNG for AIDCs"

Interview with Hyungdoo Choi, Senior Member of the People Power Party on the Science and Technology Committee

"Hard to Meet AI Electricity Demand with Renewables Alone"

"South Korea Must Become a Lighthouse Nation Exporting Intelligence through AIDCs"

"In the AI Era, the Competitive Edge of the Media Is High-Quality Content"

Editor's NoteSouth Korea was the second country in the world to enact a basic law on artificial intelligence (AI), following the European Union (EU). Now, six months after the law came into force, are our laws and regulations keeping up with the fast-evolving changes in technology and industry? Through its [AI Rulemakers] series, The Asia Business Daily sits down with politicians leading AI-related legislation to seek institutional solutions that will help South Korea survive in the global AI race.

"The labor and environmental regulations, previously pushed by the Democratic Party, have now become shackles on semiconductor investments in the Honam region. The Democratic Party has now reached a 'moment of reckoning' when it needs to change its policies."

Hyungdoo Choi, a member of the People Power Party, emphasized in an interview with The Asia Business Daily that to attract investment in semiconductors and artificial intelligence data centers (AIDC) and other AI infrastructure, the power supply issue must be addressed first. He argued that we must face the reality that the rapidly increasing electricity demand cannot be met with renewable energy alone.

Hyungdoo Choi, a member of the People Power Party, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily in the National Assembly member's office. July 31, 2026. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Choi, who served as the People Power Party's senior member on the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee in both the first and second halves of the 22nd National Assembly, said, "The Honam semiconductor project has provided an opportunity for the ruling and opposition parties to narrow their differences regarding the necessity of nuclear power plants, dams, and power grids," adding, "The previously neglected issues of electricity and water supply have now become real obstacles to semiconductor investments."

He also shared plans to once again push for legal amendments to allow liquefied natural gas (LNG) power generation to ensure a stable electricity supply for AIDCs. Previously, the AIDC-related law passed by the National Assembly included a special provision enabling renewable energy providers to supply electricity directly to AIDCs without going through the electricity market, but provisions regarding LNG power generation were omitted from the final version due to opposition from the government.

Choi explained, "In locations where it is difficult to connect to the power grid immediately, we have no choice but to use gas turbines," and clarified, "The aim is not to prolong gas usage indefinitely, but to utilize it as a practical bridge toward future transitions to hydrogen power generation or small modular reactors (SMRs)." He further stressed, "It is important to supplement the AIDC Act to cover power generation using gas, which was left out."

To expand talent in AI and semiconductors, he suggested increasing the number of semiconductor and AIDC-related academic departments tailored to industry demand and enhancing tax incentives for restricted stock units (RSUs) to secure top talent in national strategic technologies. He also presented the concept of establishing a tentatively named 'Asia Institute of Engineering and Technology' to attract outstanding engineering talent from ASEAN and Central Asia to South Korea.

Hyungdoo Choi, a member of the People Power Party, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly member's office. July 31, 2026 Photo by Hyunmin Kim

The following is a Q&A with Assemblyman Choi.

-How do you assess the first six months of the AI Basic Act?

▲Safety measures for high-risk issues such as the criminal misuse of AI and the dissemination of false or manipulated information must continue to be strengthened. However, if we fall behind in competition due to excessive regulation, even the jobs and growth potential of future generations may be undermined. Just as engines and brakes were developed in parallel during the evolution of the automobile industry, we must pursue both the promotion of AI and safety at the same time.

-Where is the greatest policy divide between the ruling and opposition parties on AI issues?

▲The Honam semiconductor project has provided a meaningful opportunity for both sides to narrow their gap on the necessity of nuclear power plants, dams, and transmission grids. This is because the Democratic Party-led government has come to realize that electricity and water—issues it previously overlooked due to environmental concerns—are directly tied to investment. We are now in an era where intelligence is exported through AIDCs. In a situation where AI determines the national economy, we must move beyond ideologically driven approaches of the past.

-What sort of AI competitiveness should South Korea cultivate amid the U.S.-China rivalry?

▲The United States has a massive computing infrastructure and high quality, while South Korea cannot outpace China in terms of goods and manufacturing. South Korea needs to offer proven AI services based on its world-class semiconductors, reliable power supply, and outstanding human resources. The goal is to become a ’lighthouse country’ for AIDCs worldwide—a trusted exporter of intelligence.

-Can Korea attain competitiveness in the AI data center industry?

▲Korea is one of the few countries that has AI semiconductors, undersea cables, and power technology all together. We can connect undersea cables with other countries to disperse the earthquake risks associated with Japanese data centers, and we may even attract cloud services from across the Asia-Pacific region. If Korea becomes the country hosting the AIDCs that store important assets from various nations, it will be indispensable not only economically, but also in terms of national security.

-How can we resolve the power shortage facing AI data centers?

▲Although the AIDC Act has been passed, in the end, direct supply of gas-fired (LNG) power was not included. If it is difficult to connect to the power grid, the law must be supplemented to allow gas turbine usage for the time being. After using LNG, a transition can be made to hydrogen power generation or small modular reactors (SMRs). The intention is not to use gas indefinitely, but to use it as a practical bridge.

-How should data regulation on autonomous driving and generative AI be revised?

▲Due to privacy regulations, it has been difficult for developers in Korea to use pedestrian data, even as simple obstacles, resulting in delays in autonomous vehicle development. Copyright must also be protected, but outright blocking AI learning and usage is not the answer. Specific usage standards and responsibility principles must be established so that personal data and copyright are protected while allowing for industrial applications. This applies not only to industry but also to the media.

-In the AI era, what do you believe is the core competitive edge of the press?

▲AI will eventually select and use only high-quality data with minimal misinformation and rigorous gatekeeping. Articles that simply copy others' or only change headlines will not be recognized as valuable data. Media companies must move beyond competing for placement on Naver and build independent content and data assets.

-Are there plans to support the AI transition for media outlets?

▲A budget has been prepared to support the digital transformation (AX) of media outlets so that their content can be properly valued. There are also plans for the Korea Press Foundation to build a shared cloud platform and provide GPU and NPU resources at low cost. We need to move away from the old model of supporting newspaper delivery networks and instead support infrastructure so that media companies can develop their own AI services.

-What are the institutional strategies for securing AI and semiconductor talent?

▲Tax benefits for RSUs should be strengthened so they serve as a practical reward for both companies and employees. Academic programs for semiconductors and AIDCs need to be designed more precisely to align with industry needs. We must establish social incentives so that outstanding achievements in science and engineering are rewarded appropriately.

-You have proposed establishing the 'Asia Institute of Engineering and Technology' to attract foreign talent. Can you elaborate?

▲I have proposed to the government the establishment of a tentatively named ‘Asia Institute of Engineering and Technology’ in Gyeongnam, to educate outstanding engineering students from ASEAN and Central Asia. The plan is for KAIST to design the curriculum, and Kyungnam University to provide the campus. This would help transform Korea from a brain-drain to a brain-gain country, as well as address the shortage of R&D personnel in regional manufacturing industries.

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