[AI Rulemaker] ⑦ Lee Juhee: "People in Their Teens and Twenties Are AI Vulnerable... 'Korean Online Safety Act' to Be Proposed This Session"

Interview with Lee Juhee of the Democratic Party
"Social AX must follow industrial AX"
"AI's impact on the public sphere requires comprehensive protection laws"

"Alongside the industrial shift to artificial intelligence (AI), what must also occur is an AI transformation (AX) in the social sphere. During this regular session of the National Assembly, I plan to propose the enactment of a comprehensive protection law for AI-vulnerable groups, tentatively called the 'Korean Online Safety Act.'

Lee Juhee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated this on September 9 during an interview with The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly Members' Office Building, adding, "People say that the 'super-gap' will widen in the AI era, and I believe this super-gap has both positive and negative implications."

She continued, "It's not simply about whether or not one has technology; the concern is that disparities could grow across all aspects of life. Existing polarization will become much more pronounced. The National Assembly must proactively work to prevent these extreme gaps among citizens."

Assemblywoman Lee previously served as the National Student Committee Chair of the Democratic Labor Party and as an attorney at Dasan Law Firm before entering the National Assembly as a proportional representative in July last year. She continues to serve on the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee (SICT Committee) for both the first and the second half of the 22nd National Assembly.

The aspects of AI progress that concern Assemblywoman Lee are the public sphere and democracy itself. She said, "After joining the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, I found the situation to be quite severe. There is already a heightened awareness of the difficulty in blocking inappropriate content on major online platforms such as YouTube, but now, with AI, manipulated information is spreading at an unimaginable speed."

Lee Juhee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Dongju Yoon

She also noted, "We are used to applying 'digital twin' technology to buildings or even entire cities, but it appears that the public sphere itself has already become a digital twin. Beyond just mirroring reality, the digital public sphere now has an even more powerful influence on democracy than real-life public forums."

Given this, Assemblywoman Lee identified children, adolescents, and young adults as the most vulnerable groups in the social AX process. "Those we need to focus on the most in social AX are children, adolescents, and youth," she explained. "While adults are also affected by algorithms or endless scrolling, I believe children and adolescents are the most susceptible."

She added, "When children and teenagers were asked where they most often get their news, the most common response was Instagram. Over 70% of this generation is influenced by the digital public sphere, and yet we have not given this issue the serious attention it requires."

From Assemblywoman Lee's perspective, enacting the 'Korean Online Safety Act' (tentative name) is essential for enhancing AI adaptability in Korean society. She argues that, in addition to the current "Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc." (Information Network Act), new comprehensive legal protections for marginalized groups in the AI era must be established.

Joohee Lee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Dongjoo Yoon

Assemblywoman Lee explained, "As indicated by its very name, the Information Network Act contains provisions aimed at promoting usage—which is essentially for industry and businesses—alongside user protection. In most cases, laws for promotion and protection are separate. Promotion and protection should not be bundled into a single law; they must already be separated."

She also assessed, "Currently, the Information Network Act has reached its limits." Assemblywoman Lee said, "Even just looking at the provisions, there are articles 44-2 through 44-26 below article 44; with repeated amendments, the legislation has become a patchwork."

The Korean Online Safety Act is expected to subdivide and regulate various information network-related businesses, such as new forms of platforms and hosting services. It will also include specifics on protecting AI-vulnerable groups, such as children, adolescents, young adults, and digital creator industry workers.

Assemblywoman Lee plans to introduce the Korean Online Safety Act during this regular session. She commented, "The very initial draft is already out. I don't mind if the draft becomes patchy; the priority is to prevent issues that could arise after the law is enacted, and to fully incorporate multiple perspectives through thorough deliberation before presenting it." She added, "Last week I discussed this with the Media Law Society, and next week and later this month, I will hold ongoing forums with the Korean Bar Association and civil society, respectively."

She stated, "Even though our foundation for becoming an AI powerhouse is well established, I realized only after succeeding as a proportional representative last year that our comprehensive legal protections remain inadequate. Seeing these shortcomings firsthand, I couldn't ignore them or leave them unaddressed as a legal professional. That is why I am determined to legislate an integrated, comprehensive framework for digital service law."

Meanwhile, Assemblywoman Lee, born in 1978, ran in the general elections in both 2004 and 2008 as a proportional representative candidate for the Democratic Labor Party during her twenties. She entered Hanyang University Law School, passed the bar exam, and worked at Dasan Law Firm. She also ran as a proportional representative candidate for the Democratic Party Alliance in the 22nd general election. Following the nomination of Assemblyman Lim Kwanghyeon as Commissioner of the National Tax Service, she succeeded to the proportional representative seat for the Democratic Party and entered the National Assembly in July last year.

Joohee Lee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Dongjoo Yoon

Editor's NoteThe Republic of Korea was the second in the world, after the European Union (EU), to enact a Basic Law on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Now, six months after its implementation, are the country's laws and regulations keeping pace with the rapid evolution of technology and industry? Through the [AI Rulemaker] special series, The Asia Business Daily takes a closer look at the legislators driving AI-related lawmaking, and explores regulatory strategies for Korea to survive in the global competition for AI leadership.

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