Democratic Party AI Power Committee Launched... First Step to Hear Industry Opinions

AI Powerhouse Committee of the Democratic Party Launched on the 7th
Chairperson Lee: "We Will Review Proposed National Policies"
First Step: Discussion with AI Companies Including Naver and SKT

The Democratic Party of Korea launched the AI Powerhouse Committee, chaired by Representative Lee Jae-myung, on the 7th. The party plans to appoint experts from academia and industry as vice chairpersons to promote the development of specialized AI policies.

Yonhap News

At the AI Powerhouse Committee inauguration ceremony held at the National Assembly in Yeouido on the morning of the 7th, Representative Lee, who serves as the chairperson, stated, "If you propose what should be done in our politics and national policies, it will be an opportunity to review and study together." The AI Powerhouse Committee is an ad hoc special committee established by the Democratic Party to discover policies related to AI and promote the industry.

Jeong Dong-young, a member of the National Assembly and former head of the Democratic Party's AI Promotion Task Force, which had similar functions, was appointed as a vice chairperson. Outside vice chairpersons include industry and academic experts such as Lee Kyung-il, CEO of Saltlux, Kim Woo-seung, CEO of CrowdWorks, and Shin Jin-woo, KAIST distinguished professor. Assembly member Hwang Jeong-ah was appointed as the secretary responsible for practical affairs.

Representative Lee said, "It is said that we are falling behind in various aspects related to AI," adding, "We have suffered considerable damage due to wasting the past few years, but the general view seems to be that it is not too late yet."

He referred to his controversial remark about 'K-NVIDIA equity sharing,' saying, "If we create future advanced industry companies like NVIDIA and make initial investments at the government and national levels and properly secure equity, we may not have to struggle with pensions or face an unstable future."

He continued, "I don't know if it was deliberately misinterpreted, but I heard a lot of talk about whether this is communism or socialism. Because of such absurd counterattacks, the public has become interested in this issue, and I am truly grateful for that."

Vice Chairperson Jeong emphasized, "The fact that the Democratic Party's AI Powerhouse Committee is directly led by the party leader demonstrates the party's commitment and vision for AI." He added, "When the supplementary budget review begins, I believe at least 3.2 trillion won should be allocated for AI investment," and said, "With Representative Lee's strong leadership, we will realize the dream of making Korea an AI powerhouse."

Vice Chairperson Kim pointed out, "There have been many regrets regarding investment under the current government," noting, "Many science and technology-related budgets have been cut over the years." He also said, "With each change of administration, continuous investment and focus tend to waver, but since AI technology will impact all industries, I want to emphasize its importance once again."

Immediately following the launch of the AI Powerhouse Committee, a closed-door discussion was held under the theme "Finding a New Path for Korea in the AI Era." Panelists included Ha Jung-woo, head of Naver Future AI Center; Kim Dae-hyun, head of Samsung Research Global AI Center; Lee Hyung-tak, head of SKT Growth Support Office; Jeong Sang-won, CEO of ESTsoft; and Park Yeon-jeong, executive director of the Korea Software Industry Association.