Ryu Jaemyung: "Three Years of Focused Investment in Physical AI... Seeking Participation in Anthropic's 'Glasswing'" (Comprehensive Report 2)

'2026 World IT Show' Opens at COEX
Over 460 Companies and Organizations from 17 Countries Participate
Minhee Choi: "Legislation Focused on Promotion Underway"

The '2026 World IT Show' was held on the 22nd at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Key guests attending the event, including Je-myung Ryu, Vice Minister of Science and ICT, and Minhee Choi, Chairperson of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, are taking commemorative photos in front of the KT booth. Photo by Dongju Yoon.

On the 22nd, Jaemyung Ryu, the Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT, stated, "Based on the recently announced 'Physical Artificial Intelligence (AI) Core Competitiveness Strategy,' we plan to systematically secure physical AI technologies that can supplement and replace human roles through focused investment over the next three years."

At the opening ceremony of the "2026 World IT Show," held at COEX in Seoul under the theme "Beyond Thinking to Action: AI Moves Reality," Vice Minister Ryu said, "We will work to strengthen the competitiveness of Korea's AI and ICT industries and support AI technologies in bringing real changes to manufacturing and service sectors." This year's World IT Show, taking place over three days from April 22 to 24, features participation from about 460 domestic and international companies and organizations from 17 countries.

Vice Minister Ryu emphasized, "Countries are fiercely competing and making massive investments to secure AI competitiveness. This year's AI budget of around 10 trillion won, which spans technology, infrastructure, talent, and industry, represents the largest support ever and will serve as a foundation to further strengthen Korea's AI competitiveness."

Minhee Choi, Chair of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, said in her welcoming remarks, "Last year, Korea's National Assembly passed the AI Basic Act as the world's second country to do so. Even Europe, which once focused on regulation, is now comprehensively revising its approach. The National Assembly is working to relax regulations and prepare legislation that focuses on promotion."

Chairwoman Choi added, "Only when we reach an era where parents in poor health can be cared for by physical AI will all citizens feel the impact. We will accelerate the establishment of legislation that allows people to use new physical AI products without risk in the early stages."

At the exhibition hall, companies promoting physical AI and advanced technologies set up booths to welcome visitors. Leading domestic IT and telecommunications companies—including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus—participated alongside major companies in the AI semiconductor, robotics, and digital platform sectors, showcasing the latest technologies.

The 18th World IT Show this year is an exhibition that promotes the technologies and services of information and communication technology companies and shares the latest technology trends, with participation from approximately 460 companies and organizations from 17 countries. Photo by Dongju Yoon.

Speaking to reporters at the event, Vice Minister Ryu addressed concerns over the recent potential misuse of Anthropic's latest AI model, "Mythos," for hacking. He said, "We are seeking Korea's official participation in Anthropic's 'Project Glasswing' and OpenAI." Previously, Anthropic had launched Project Glasswing, a cybersecurity plan providing Mythos to a select few American partners such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and NVIDIA.

Vice Minister Ryu emphasized, "In any case, there will need to be direct information sharing between the two parties. Even without such sharing, we must remain vigilant about the security implications of AI models like Mythos."

As a side event, the "Global ICT Outlook Conference" was held under the theme "AI Transformation (AX): Technology That Understands People," examining the structural changes AI brings to industries and everyday life.

In the keynote speech, Sungkwon Jung, Executive Vice President of LG Uplus, introduced telecom companies' AI agent strategies centered on voice-based AI. He explained, "AI is evolving beyond simple responses to understand user context and autonomously perform tasks."

Next, Lee Taehee, Vice President of Samsung SDS, gave a presentation titled "AX That Understands Me and Changes Daily Life and Work," stating, "Going forward, companies must redesign work processes and roles around AI. It is important to provide mentoring and career development for junior employees, enhance the reliability of AI results, and establish robust data governance."

The 2026 World IT Show was held on the 22nd at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Visitors attending the event are seen exploring the MindAI robot booth. Photo by Dongju Yoon.

This year, the exhibition was strengthened with four new special zones: the "Award Tech Zone," the "Global Zone," the "Enter Tech Zone," and the "K-AI Semiconductor Ecosystem Zone." In addition, the "Global ICT Buyer Export Consultation" was prepared to support the growth of promising AI and ICT companies and startups by offering opportunities for export consultations and investment attraction. Fifty overseas buyers from 14 countries, including the United Kingdom, China, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), participated and explored practical business opportunities through customized consultations with about 190 domestic companies.

At the "Outstanding Company Awards Ceremony," held to coincide with the opening of the World IT Show, the Korea Impact Tech Grand Prize was awarded to recognize domestic innovative AI and ICT technologies. The Presidential Award went to Gaudio Lab, which developed a platform that automates music separation and replacement, dubbing, and subtitles in the export process of K-content using AI technology.

The Prime Minister's Award was presented to Law&Company, which developed specialized legal AI services using a generative AI-based chatbot. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT's Award went to six companies, including Samsung Electronics, which developed a service that implements everything from the core network to the radio access network (RAN) and cell site routers (CSR) for mobile communication networks through software, enabling network deployment and operation without dedicated hardware.

The World IT Show Innovation Award, given to promising AI and ICT companies, was presented to 10 companies, including BNSR, which developed an integrated system for diagnosing semiconductor processes and equipment. These companies received the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT's Award.

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