Yoon Emphasizes Bold Public-Private Investment to Lead Supermassive AI... Stresses One Team Approach

Emergency Economic and Livelihood Meeting Hosted as Supermassive AI Leap Conference
Emphasizes Establishing Universal Digital Norms and Order

President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 13th urged for "bold and continuous investment" so that Korea's domestic super-large AI can expand onto the global stage, in relation to the artificial intelligence (AI) industry equipped with learning, comprehensive cognition, judgment, and reasoning abilities represented by ChatGPT. This is interpreted as a call for the government and private sector to work as one team to lead the global market in practical industrial fields, as Korea takes a leading role in the field of AI norms.

On the morning of the same day, President Yoon held the "Korea Super-large AI Leap Meeting (the 20th Emergency Economic and Livelihood Meeting)" at the Blue House State Guest House to discuss measures to foster the super-large AI industry, stating, "Recently, our companies have also been consecutively launching independent super-large AI." Since April, the government has decided to invest 390.1 billion won in future strategic industries, including promoting the establishment of AI gifted high schools and supporting advanced AI-related semiconductor industries.

Since the AI industry itself has a winner-takes-all characteristic and is directly linked to national economy and security, President Yoon believes that not only government support but also private sector enthusiasm is important. He emphasized, "Government support serves as a primer for bold investment and challenges by companies. Ultimately, private investment and challenges determine the competition in super-large AI."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon also stressed the importance of AI norms. He said, "Digital has no borders and possesses connectivity and immediacy, so it cannot be resolved through legislation or regulations that apply only to one country," adding, "Therefore, it is necessary to establish universal digital norms and order that are internationally accepted." Although global big tech companies have invested huge capital to secure leadership in super-large AI since the emergence of ChatGPT, this statement is interpreted as meaning that Korea should also play a leading role in establishing related norms to gain international support and leadership for super-large AI products.

Business leaders attending the meeting declared the "super-large AI expedition" in the digital age of global navigation in line with global trends and the government's digital declaration, pledging to expand joint research and investment cooperation, voluntarily establish AI safety measures, comply with international standards, and pursue global expansion through open innovation. In the subsequent discussion, AI companies, researchers, and students agreed that Korea's AI can sufficiently compete in the global market and requested the government to support international joint research and cooperation networks, AI semiconductor and application service development, challenging AI research and development (R&D) investment, and the establishment of AI legal systems and new digital norms.

Prior to the meeting, President Yoon visited a separately installed booth to directly observe super-large AI services developed by domestic companies, including ▲draft report writing based on large language models (LLM), ▲visual assistance services for the disabled, and ▲cosmetic packaging design creation, encouraging company officials and developers.

The meeting was attended by about 70 related personnel, including AI industry representatives such as Yoo Young-sam, CEO of SKT; Bae Kyung-hoon, Director of LG AI Research Institute; Ha Jung-woo, Head of Naver Cloud; and Bae Suk-min, Head of KT AI; Yeom Jae-ho, President of Taejae University; graduate students majoring in related fields; and the President of the National IT Industry Promotion Agency. Also present were Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho, Park Dae-chul, Chair of the People Power Party Policy Committee, Jang Je-won, Chair of the National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee from the People Power Party, Park Sung-joong, People Power Party Science and Technology Committee Secretary, and Choi Sang-mok, Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Presidential Office.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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