Focusing on "Military Service Exemptions" as a Strategy to Secure AI Talent
Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee Plans Site Visits to LG, SK, and Kakao
Cooperation Planned with Industry, Education, and Culture Standing Committees
Naver has conveyed a request to the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee to increase financial support necessary for artificial intelligence (AI) research and development (R&D). As there is a shortage of domestic AI talent, measures to address this issue were also discussed.
Kim Hyun, a member of the Democratic Party and the committee's secretary, said to reporters on the 19th after visiting Naver1784 in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, "There was a request to expand the scope of financial support, including for graphics processing units (GPUs)," adding, "It also included a request for the political sector to carefully review the issue of nurturing and attracting talent."
As a strategy to secure excellent talent, the focus was on the military service exemption system. Kim said, "Currently, military service exemptions are possible for small and medium-sized enterprises, but are restricted for large corporations. How to address this boundary is a concern," adding, "Democratic Party member Jeong Dong-young has also proposed a law to expand the military service exemption provisions."
The committee plans to continue holding forums, public hearings, and site visits to listen to opinions from the AI industry and experts. Kim said, "Since the 22nd National Assembly, there have been about 80 forums, and about 10 forums were held jointly by the ruling and opposition parties," adding, "Experts will also be heard at the public hearing on the 25th." Regarding experts attending the public hearing, he mentioned, "The Democratic Party plans to recommend representatives from Naver, LG, and SK." He also said, "AI-related companies such as LG, SK, and Kakao will be visited later to hear their views."
Furthermore, Kim emphasized cooperation with other standing committees closely related to AI. He said, "After roughly reviewing, seven standing committees related to AI were identified, including education, health and welfare, and culture," adding, "In particular, the Industry, Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Enterprises Committee is reviewing laws related to energy and data centers." He continued, "If a special committee is formed, it will gather issues from each standing committee and draft legislation within it."
At the site visit that day, 10 committee members including Chairperson Choi Min-hee attended and issued a bipartisan joint statement pledging unwavering policy support for the leap to AI G3 (Global Top 3 powers). From Naver, CEO Choi Soo-yeon, Naver Labs CEO Seok Sang-ok, and Naver Cloud Future AI Center Head Ha Jung-woo participated to introduce achievements such as AI search, generative AI, and robotics technologies. Afterwards, they experienced future technologies applied to Naver’s headquarters building, including AI, robots, and digital twins (technology that digitally replicates objects or systems in the real world).
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