Ministry of Science and ICT and Ministry of Education to Overhaul AI Talent Development Cycle... Fifth Talent Plan to Be Finalized in June

Strengthening Collaboration Among Science and Technology Institutes, Government-Funded Research Institutes, and Core Universities
Redesigning the System for Joint AI Education, Research, and Equipment Utilization

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Education will comprehensively redesign the talent development system for advanced fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), and will finalize a national talent policy reflecting these changes in June 2026. This marks the full-scale launch of an integrated talent policy that transcends ministerial boundaries, in response to a declining school-age population and intensifying global competition for talent.

On March 19, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Baek Kyunghoon and Minister of Education Choi Kyojin held a joint talent policy roundtable at the National Science and Technology Advisory Council. During the session, they discussed major policy agendas including developing science and technology and AI talent, establishing regional collaboration systems, and promoting shared use of research facilities.

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The two ministries have agreed to establish a cooperative framework that encompasses the entire talent development cycle, from recruitment and growth to active engagement. To this end, they will form a policy working group and specify collaborative projects, which will be incorporated into the “5th Basic Plan for Science and Technology Talent Development and Support (2026–2030)” and finalized by June 2026.

From AI Education to Regional Universities: Comprehensive Redesign of the Talent Development System

The ministries are accelerating educational innovation to nurture AI talent. At the elementary and secondary levels, they will build an AI practice education platform, enabling students to directly work with data and AI models. Joint efforts will also be made to establish guidelines for the use of generative AI and to promote AI ethics education. Training programs to enhance teachers' AI competencies will also be expanded.

At the university level, joint research, credit exchange, and the opening of high-quality courses will be expanded among the AI colleges and AI-focused universities under the Ministry of Science and ICT and the AI hub universities under the Ministry of Education, in order to establish a regionally based AI talent development system. Initiatives will also include the development of tailored AI educational content for the general public and expanded participation in AI competitions.

From the standpoint of balanced regional development, collaboration will be strengthened among science and technology institutes, government-funded research institutes, and core national universities in connection with the "Five Regions, Three Specializations" strategy. The plan is to vitalize joint research and personnel exchanges, and to build an industry-academia-research cooperation ecosystem that links technology discovery reflecting regional company needs through to commercialization.

In addition, the ministries will expand the shared use of university research facilities and equipment to improve research efficiency, while also promoting the operation of specialized equipment personnel. By aligning related policies and projects, they aim to rapidly establish a shared research infrastructure at the field level.

Baek Kyunghoon, Minister of Science and ICT, stated, "Now is the golden time for talent policy," adding, "The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Education will work as one team to build an innovative talent development ecosystem for future generations." Choi Kyojin, Minister of Education, remarked, "In an era of low birth rates, the great AI transformation, and global technological hegemony competition, talent is the key to national competitiveness. We will strengthen cooperation to foster talent throughout the entire life cycle, from elementary and secondary education to higher and lifelong education."

Based on the discussions from this meeting, the two ministries will specify detailed cooperation plans and present them at the Science and Technology-Related Ministers' Meeting in the first half of this year.

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