"Agentic AI, a Game-Changing Innovation Tool for the Advancement of the Logistics Industry"

Kim Seunghwan: "AI Will Drive Operational Innovation in the Logistics Industry"
Park Minyoung: "The Public Sector Must Take the Lead in Investment"

As artificial intelligence (AI) technology is being adopted, the landscape of the logistics industry is undergoing significant change, with "Agentic AI" being identified as the next-generation technology set to drive the industry's advancement.

On September 30, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry held its 53rd Logistics Committee meeting at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, under the theme "AI Transformation and the Future Direction of the Logistics Industry." The meeting was attended by Shin Youngsoo, Chairman of the Logistics Committee of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Park Iljun, Executive Vice Chairman, Lee Yongho, CEO of LX Pantos, Lee Junhwan, Vice Chairman of KCTC, Shim Chungsik, Vice Chairman of SunKwang, and Lee Sangkeun, CEO of Samyoung Logistics.

Seoul Jung-gu Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Building. Photo by Jang Heejun

Kim Seunghwan, Head of the Applied AI Research Group at LG AI Research Institute, presented Agentic AI as the core of the future logistics industry. He stated, "The key to next-generation AI is Agentic AI, which defines problems and carries out planning and execution autonomously." He diagnosed, "The logistics industry is an area where the adoption of AI can have a significant impact, given the complex variables involved in demand forecasting, inventory management, and delivery route optimization." He further emphasized, "As Agentic AI has already proven effective in manufacturing and distribution sites, such as plant operation optimization, it can drive not only efficiency improvements in logistics but also real-time decision-making and operational innovation."

Park Minyoung, Professor at Inha University and President of the Korea Logistics Society, also highlighted that AI adoption is central to changes in the logistics industry. He stated, "AI is transforming not just efficiency but the very way operations are conducted." He evaluated that "technologies such as AI-based real-time monitoring, automated loading and unloading systems, and vehicle-based shared logistics networks are not only reducing costs and improving productivity, but also serving as key infrastructure to meet new demands such as fresh logistics, O2O (online to offline), and last-mile delivery."

However, he pointed out, "On a societal level, the spread of AI could widen various gaps-between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises, and regular and non-regular workers." He added, "The public sector should take the lead in investing in AI logistics demonstration and dissemination, and inclusive logistics infrastructure, such as shared logistics centers that small business owners can use at low cost, should be expanded."

Shin Youngsoo, Chairman of the Logistics Committee of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (and CEO of CJ Logistics), who presided over the meeting, stated, "CJ Logistics is also pursuing logistics innovation based on its self-developed Agentic AI, aiming to establish a fully autonomous operating system that can independently make decisions and execute across the entire logistics process." He added, "Logistics companies should also take proactive measures in response."