[Exclusive] President Lee, Who Pledged to Make Korea an AI Powerhouse, Launches 'AI4' Meeting

All Ministries to Launch Weekly 'AI4 Meeting' on Sundays
Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Science and ICT, and Ministry of Education to Participate
Serving as a Bridge to Coordinate AI Policy Differences within the Government

President Lee Jae Myung is speaking at the AI Global Cooperation Companies Meeting held at Ulsan Exhibition Convention Center on the 20th of last month. Photo by Yonhap News

To support President Lee Jae Myung's artificial intelligence (AI) policy, the government will launch the tentatively named 'AI4 Meeting,' with participation from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Ministry of Education. Modeled after the F4 meeting, which discusses economic and financial issues, this meeting will bring together AI-related ministries every week to identify and design policies.

According to government ministries on July 17, they are considering holding the AI4 Meeting every Sunday. The participating ministries and their representatives will be adjusted flexibly depending on the situation. The plan is to begin the relevant meetings once the ministerial candidates from each ministry pass their confirmation hearings.

The AI4 Meeting is said to have been inspired by the Macroeconomic and Financial Issues Meeting (F4 Meeting). The F4 Meeting, short for Finance 4, is attended by the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, the Governor of the Bank of Korea, the Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, and the Governor of the Financial Supervisory Service. It was institutionalized in 2022 at the suggestion of former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyungho. The meeting has served as an "emergency economic control tower" during crises such as the Legoland incident, the shock from US interest rate hikes, and the 12·3 Martial Law Incident.

The AI4 Meeting is expected to serve as a bridge to coordinate differences among ministries. AI policy spans economic, industrial, scientific and technological, and educational sectors. To announce AI measures quickly, ministries need to meet regularly to coordinate policies. A government official explained, "Cross-ministerial collaboration is necessary to strengthen AI," adding, "There are areas where the Office of the Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy can provide support."

The Office of the President also believes that close communication with government ministries is essential for the smooth implementation of AI policy. An official from the presidential office stated, "Even selecting priorities among the AI pledges made by the president is not an easy task," and explained, "We are discussing with government ministries how to realistically implement these pledges within a limited budget."

President Lee Jae Myung personally signed a Rebellion semiconductor at the Ulsan Exhibition and Convention Center on the 20th of last month. The phrase "AI Highway, One of the World's Top 3 Powers" is written on it. Photo by Yonhap News

There is also an aspect of supporting President Lee's AI pledges. During his presidential campaign, President Lee promised to make Korea one of the top three AI powers. He pledged to create a large-scale national fund and invest 100 trillion won intensively in the AI sector, aiming to become the third leading country after the United States and China. He also pledged to build an AI highway, develop and provide open-source national large language models (LLMs), and expand access to AI devices and services for marginalized groups.

Since President Lee took office, AI policy has remained a top priority. He established the Office of the Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning through organizational restructuring and appointed Ha Jungwoo, then head of Naver Cloud AI Innovation Center with extensive field experience, to lead it. He also created the position of Secretary for National AI Policy under this office. His first official regional schedule was also the launch ceremony of the AI data center held in Ulsan Ulju-gun on the 20th of last month.

At the launch ceremony, President Lee stated, "The new government will make every effort to actively support Korea's leap forward as a nation that takes AI as a new engine of national growth and grows vigorously once again," and added, "We will push forward policies to foster the AI industry at a rapid pace."