Ministry of Science and ICT Dispatches AI Expert Um Yeol to New Administration's National Policy Planning Committee

Support for Policy Implementation of the Ministry of Science and ICT's 100 Trillion Won AI Blueprint
Upgrade to Deputy Prime Minister Level and Government Reorganization Also on the Agenda

With the launch of the National Policy Planning Committee, which is responsible for drafting the policy roadmap for the Lee Jaemyung administration, on June 16, the Ministry of Science and ICT dispatched Um Yeol, Director of ICT Policy, who has hands-on experience in AI policy implementation.

Director Um is an AI expert who served as Director of AI-Based Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT from August 2022 to May last year. As the National Policy Planning Committee has instructed each ministry to actively reflect President Lee's campaign pledges, he is expected to help design the blueprint for the new administration's AI policy and support the development of implementation plans.

President Lee, as a campaign pledge, presented a vision for the private sector to raise a total of 100 trillion won through investment. He also introduced the 'AI for All' project, which aims to secure more than 50,000 high-performance GPUs, build high-performance AI data centers, and develop a Korean-style generative AI that is freely accessible to all citizens. The administration will also focus on nurturing AI talent by strengthening AI education, establishing regional AI colleges, and preparing measures for military service exemptions and attracting overseas talent.

Reorganization of the Ministry of Science and ICT is also an issue. Choi Minhee, Chairperson of the National Assembly Committee on Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications, proposed a government reorganization bill in April to elevate the Ministry of Science and ICT to a 'deputy prime minister-level' ministry and restructure it as a dedicated ministry overseeing AI policy.

Meanwhile, on the previous day, President Lee made a surprise appointment of Ha Jungwoo, Head of the Naver Cloud AI Innovation Center, as Chief of AI Future Planning, highlighting the concept of 'Sovereign AI.' Chief Ha, born in 1977, is the youngest chief in the current administration.