Prime Minister Kim Vows "All-Out Effort to Become a Top 3 AI Power"...164 Honored on 'Science and Information and Communication Day' (Comprehensive)

Prime Minister Kim Minseok delivers a commemorative speech at the 2026 Science and Information and Communication Day ceremony held at the Korea Science and Technology Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 21st. 2026.4. Photo by Yonhap News

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Prime Minister Kim Minseok stated on the 21st, "We will make every effort to become one of the top three global powers in artificial intelligence (AI)," and added, "We will establish a research and development ecosystem where people can take on challenges without fear of failure, based on autonomy and creativity."

At the 'Science and Information and Communications Day' ceremony held at the Korea Science and Technology Center earlier that afternoon under the theme 'A Great Leap Forward for Korea through Science, Technology, and AI,' Prime Minister Kim remarked, "When creativity, challenge, and the support and participation of the public come together, crisis turns into opportunity."

Prime Minister Kim explained, "Last year, we secured 260,000 advanced graphic processing units (GPUs) and laid the foundation for building AI computing centers. This year, we are developing an independent AI model that ranks among the top ten in the world." He continued, "Recently, while visiting the United States and Geneva, I took part in opening the very first step toward a global consensus on a UN AI hub," and emphasized, "We will also work to attract a global AI hub without fail."

Referring to a recent report from Stanford University that ranked Korea third in the world in the number of notable AI models released last year, after the United States and China, Prime Minister Kim added, "For two consecutive years, we have achieved the world's highest number of AI patents per 100,000 people. I believe this demonstrates that Korea is vigorously advancing to become one of the top three global AI powers."

Prime Minister Kim pledged that the government would continue bold investments and institutional innovations with the goal of making Korea one of the top five countries in science and technology. He said, "We will shift the paradigm through pioneering research and development," and introduced, "In January of this year, we abolished the preliminary feasibility study for research and development, a long-standing wish of the science and technology community." He added, "Above all, we will strengthen tailored support so that young scientists can immerse themselves in research without financial concerns by expanding scholarships and research living allowances."

This ceremony was organized to commemorate the 59th Science Day (April 21) and the 71st Information and Communications Day (April 22), and to inspire pride and honor among science and information and communications professionals through government awards for contributions to the advancement of science, technology, information and communications, and for excellence in national research and development evaluations. The Science and Information and Communications Day ceremony is hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Communications Commission, and organized by the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST) and the Korean Information and Communications Broadcasting Association.

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The event was attended by Prime Minister Kim Minseok, Koo Hyuk-chae, First Vice Minister of Science and ICT, Ryu Jemyung, Second Vice Minister, Tae seog Oh, Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA), Kwon Onam, President of KOFST, Noh Junhyeong, President of the ICT Alliance, and other key figures in science, technology, and information and communications. Of the 164 award recipients, including those recognized for their contributions to the advancement of science, technology, information and communications and excellence in national research and development evaluations, 148 were present at the ceremony and received their awards on site.

In the field of science and technology advancement, a total of 89 individuals received government awards, including 28 orders of merit, 11 medals, 22 presidential commendations, and 28 prime ministerial commendations.

This year, a total of 28 orders of merit in science and technology were awarded, an increase of two compared to last year. The highest honor, the Order of Science and Technology Innovation (First Class), was awarded to two individuals. Professor Kim Vinnaeri of Seoul National University received the award for her pioneering research in RNA, including elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of RNA, developing RNA-based therapies, and mapping coronavirus genes, making significant contributions to the field of life sciences.

Additionally, Kim Jeongsang, Distinguished Professor at Duke University in the United States, was honored for introducing, for the first time in the world, a scalable system structure using the ion trap method that allows precise control of atoms with light (laser), thereby securing a key technology for the commercialization of quantum computers.

For the Order of Science and Technology Innovation (Second Class), nine individuals were recognized, including Kim Jangwoo, CEO of MangoBoost Korea, who contributed to the development of the world's highest-performing AI data processing semiconductor, and Professor Cha Miyeong of KAIST, who has tackled various social challenges such as fake news and poverty detection through AI and big data. In addition, the Order of Science and Technology Development (Third Class) was awarded to seven people, the Order of Science and Technology Advancement (Fourth Class) to seven people, and the Order of Science and Technology Progress (Fifth Class) to three people, for a total of 28 individuals recognized for their contributions across various fields of science and technology.

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