Ministry of Science and ICT Discusses AI Laws and Regulations... "Urges National Assembly to Pass Pending AI Basic Act"

Government to Hold
Law and Regulation Subcommittee Meeting under 'AI Strategy Supreme Threat Council' on 16th
Experts to Review and Discuss EU AI Act

The government's highest-level meeting body to propel South Korea into a top three AI powerhouse officially began full-scale operations on the 16th.

Kang Do-hyun, Vice Minister of Science and ICT / Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

On the same day, the Ministry of Science and ICT held the first meeting of the AI Strategy High-Level Council's Legal and Institutional Subcommittee at the Korea Press Center. The meeting announced the launch and operational direction of the Legal and Institutional Subcommittee under the AI Strategy High-Level Council, explained the key contents and implications of the European Union (EU) AI Act, and discussed the development direction of AI legislation to strengthen domestic AI competitiveness.

The Legal and Institutional Subcommittee is composed of 20 top legal and institutional experts in the AI field from academia, the legal profession, and industry, including Attorney Ko Hwang-gyeong from the law firm Kwangjang. Going forward, the subcommittee plans to operate research groups on global trends such as those in the US and EU, as well as on the direction of establishing domestic AI norms, sharing detailed discussion outcomes regularly.

Professor Oh Byung-chul of Yonsei University introduced the progress and main components of the EU AI Act. The AI Act classifies AI into four levels based on risk?prohibited, high-risk, etc.?and also includes regulations on general-purpose AI.

During the comprehensive discussion following the presentation, voices were raised that South Korea, unlike the EU, has its own AI industry ecosystem and therefore needs to establish a separate regulatory framework different from the EU AI Act. In particular, opinions were expressed that the AI Basic Act, currently pending in the National Assembly, should be passed within this session to resolve corporate acceptance and investment uncertainty.

Kang Do-hyun, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "Through the Legal and Institutional Subcommittee, we hope that our companies' responses to global norms will be enhanced, and that the direction for establishing a domestic AI regulatory system will be presented, contributing to South Korea's leap as an AI G3 powerhouse."

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