The Ministry of Science and ICT will report to the National Planning Committee on the 18th regarding key issues related to the ministry, including measures to secure competitiveness in artificial intelligence (AI) and strengthen national cybersecurity capabilities following the SK Telecom hacking incident. In the field of science and technology, the report will focus on revitalizing the research and development (R&D) ecosystem, which was impacted by budget cuts last year.
According to the National Assembly and others, the Ministry of Science and ICT will report on these matters to the Economic and Social Second Division of the National Planning Committee at the Sejong Government Complex on that day. The ministry has organized its report focusing on issues and decision-making tasks related to science and technology, AI, and digital fields, as well as plans for fulfilling commitments.
◇ Reorganization of the dedicated AI department... strengthening cybersecurity capabilities
The Ministry of Science and ICT is considering ways to expand infrastructure to nurture the domestic AI industry while keeping a reorganization of the ministry in mind. The ministry is poised to promote policies focusing on the development of the AI sector rather than on regulation. It is expected to report on the direction for the enactment of subordinate laws under the AI Basic Act, which consolidated opinions from the industry, and also discuss plans for the development of general-use AI models.
In particular, it will review the direction for the National AI Computing Center project, which has been unsuccessful in two bidding rounds due to a lack of interested corporations. This project is dubbed as a 'poisoned chalice' within the industry. Although a large-scale project with an investment of 2.5 trillion won, no consortia have emerged to participate as the government has set the public equity higher.
The Ministry of Science and ICT will also report on a reorganization plan aimed at bolstering the AI industry at the national level. It plans to enhance the control tower function of the National AI Committee, which consists of a small number of private experts, while establishing an 'AI Policy Office' within the dedicated ministry that will lead the planning and execution of AI policies.
Support plans for industrial corporations are also included. The government plans to select a representative development team for AI models to provide support. There are also plans to nurture a domestic ecosystem for AI semiconductors based on neural processing units (NPUs) to replace foreign graphics processing units (GPUs).
The Ministry of Science and ICT cited 'a national AI grand transformation' as a key to fulfilling commitments made by President Lee Jae-myung. It also noted plans to induce the launch of AI services that can be used by all citizens based on an independently developed Korean AI model.
Additionally, follow-up measures regarding the SK Telecom hacking incident will be discussed. The Ministry of Science and ICT identified minimizing user damage, preventing recurrence, and strengthening national cybersecurity capabilities as key issues. It also added that a thorough investigation is currently underway regarding this incident.
Regarding the commitment to alleviate the burdens of working individuals in daily life, it mentioned tax deductions for communication expenses. There will also be discussions on support measures for 'Quality of Service' (QoS), which allows usage at limited speeds even after depleting the basic data allowance.
◇ Additional investment in R&D budget... measures for talent development
In the field of science and technology, restoring the R&D ecosystem is the largest challenge. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to report various measures to restore the damaged research ecosystem following the R&D budget cuts last year.
It is expected to include a plan for additional funding needed to increase the R&D budget to around 5% of total expenditure. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to develop strategies to restore project numbers in basic research areas, which were primary targets during the budget cuts, and enhance researchers' autonomy.
Plans for talent development aimed at solving the shortage of personnel in science and engineering fields will also be given significant attention. It is expected to strengthen measures like graduate student research support funds and postdoctoral researcher assistance initiated during the previous administration, and propose ways to utilize high-caliber scholars, including women and those nearing retirement. They are also considering ways to increase the attraction of international talents.
Support measures for creating ten national universities as promised by President Lee Jae-myung are also under consideration. Plans to cultivate regional national universities as research-oriented institutions are expected to be included. Additionally, the report will touch on matters such as the abolishment of preliminary feasibility studies for R&D and addressing issues stemming from the designation of Korea as a sensitive country by the U.S. Department of Energy.