"My MBTI Is ENTJ"... New Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyun Declares 'AI-Driven Government'

Bae Kyunhun Takes Office as Science and ICT Minister on the 17th... First Appointment of the Lee Administration
Town Hall Meeting with Staff and PowerPoint Presentation at Inauguration
"Sovereign AI, R&D Restoration, Talent Development... Need for Leading Strategies"
"I Will Not Divide Public and Private Sectors... AI Is a Work Partner"

Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyun read his inaugural speech with a PowerPoint presentation displayed at the Government Sejong Complex inauguration ceremony on the 17th. Photo by Park Yujin

New Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyun held a town hall meeting immediately after taking office on the 17th, declaring, "I will realize the 'true Korea' through a national transformation based on AI." Reflecting his background as a private sector executive, the format of the event was unconventional from the outset. Instead of a formal seating arrangement, he set up semicircular seating, displayed a self-made PowerPoint presentation, and sat face-to-face with staff for a free-flowing Q&A session. Many viewed this as a symbolic scene representing a 'transformation in the way work is done,' distinct from the traditional bureaucratic culture.

In his inaugural address, Minister Bae stated, "We have achieved unprecedented growth by rapidly adopting and catching up with advanced countries' technologies, but now that we have joined the ranks of advanced nations, we cannot progress further toward becoming a top five global power by simply repeating past strategies." He added, "We must dramatically improve efficiency and productivity through a national transformation based on advanced science and technology such as AI, quantum, and semiconductors."

He particularly emphasized, "To achieve the goal of becoming one of the world's top three AI powers, we will build a robust AI ecosystem and create an environment where anyone can utilize AI." He continued, "We will rapidly expand world-class AI infrastructure, including the National Computing Center and Supercomputer No. 6." He also added, "We will establish the world's best ultra-high-performance, ultra-intelligent digital infrastructure across the board."

During the town hall, Minister Bae directly addressed the Ministry's AI utilization culture. He said, "Even before meetings or interviews, I first ask AI questions to organize my thoughts," and added, "I have also refined my work records to connect with AI and create predictive models." He continued, "We need a 'sovereign AI' that can go beyond simple Q&A and integrate with internal ministry documents," and stressed, "The Ministry of Science and ICT will take the lead in maximizing AI utilization."

He also presented plans to apply AI to the R&D system. He said, "In the future, agent-level AI at the laboratory director level will work alongside scientists to formulate hypotheses and analyze experiments," and emphasized, "The United States and China are already preparing for research innovation centered on inference-based AI, and Korea must introduce this as soon as possible."

Regarding strategies to secure talent in science and engineering, he said, "Raising salaries alone will not attract talent," and emphasized, "A sustainable research environment and infrastructure are key." He explained, "The government must create a structure where one talented person attracts another, generating synergy throughout the organization."

He also revealed his philosophy of communication as a minister. He said, "I have felt the great loyalty and dedication of public officials, but we must improve inefficient meeting and reporting cultures." He added, "As the ministry in charge of AI, we must further advance online meetings and remote work environments."

At the end of the meeting, an unexpected question was raised. When asked about his MBTI, Minister Bae replied, "ENTJ," and added with a smile, "Because I am goal-oriented, I sometimes tire myself out." He said, "I want to create an organizational culture where anyone can speak freely," and added, "I hope people will say we are the most communicative ministry, where any member can meet with anyone at any time." He concluded, "I do not want to draw a line between the private and public sectors," and said, "I want to continue communicating in this way going forward."