[Exclusive] Deputy Prime Minister Paik Kyunghoon to Attend CES, Emphasizing Major Shift Toward AI

Attending CES 2026 Instead of the February MWC in Spain, Traditionally Focused on Telecommunications
Meetings Planned with Key Figures Such as Jensen Huang and Sundar Pichai
Strengthening International AI Cooperation and Reviewing the Latest Tre

Paik Kyunghoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, is attending and speaking at the 1st Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology held at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul on November 24, 2025. Photo by Cho Yongjun

Paik Kyunghoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT (pictured), has virtually confirmed his attendance at "CES 2026," the world’s largest consumer electronics and information technology exhibition, which will be held in Las Vegas, USA, in January next year.

This schedule deviates from the usual practice of Ministers of Science and ICT primarily attending the "Mobile World Congress (MWC)" in Barcelona, Spain, in February. The decision is interpreted as a clear indication that the government's top science and technology policy priority lies in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), rather than telecommunications, and as an effort to expand international cooperation.

According to the science and technology community on December 5, Deputy Prime Minister Paik has virtually confirmed his attendance at CES 2026 and is currently coordinating his local itinerary. This will effectively be the first time that a Minister of Science and ICT attends CES, which was previously categorized as a consumer electronics event. Until now, only vice ministers or directors from the Ministry have participated.

It appears that Deputy Prime Minister Paik’s decision to attend CES is based on the assessment that the event has become distinctly focused on AI-centric technologies. At CES 2025 earlier this year, Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, highlighted the concept of artificial intelligence operating in the physical world, and at CES 2026 next year, Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, will deliver the keynote speech.

Deputy Prime Minister Paik’s attendance at CES is seen as the government’s direct effort to observe the shift among global technology companies toward AI as the core of their strategies.

It has been reported that Deputy Prime Minister Paik will review the latest trends in artificial intelligence technology on-site in Las Vegas and is also seeking meetings with key figures such as Jensen Huang and Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google. Since major companies often hold key executive meetings in nearby hotels even if they do not officially participate in CES exhibitions, the scope of the government’s discussions on international cooperation is expected to broaden.

Deputy Prime Minister Paik is also reportedly considering visiting exhibition spaces of domestic companies, such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, to check on the status of technology development and to listen to feedback from the field. As the government is pursuing a national strategy centered on artificial intelligence, his visit to CES is expected to serve as a bridge between policy direction and developments on the ground.

It has been reported that Ryu Jemyoung, Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT, will attend MWC in Spain. Although the Ministry of Science and ICT stated that Deputy Prime Minister Paik’s attendance at CES 2026 "has not yet been finalized," the science and technology community is already preparing for his participation.

Through this visit to CES, Deputy Prime Minister Paik is expected to make clear the Ministry’s policy direction to go beyond its traditional role of managing and supervising telecommunications networks, and to foster artificial intelligence and semiconductors as future growth engines while expanding international cooperation. The Ministry of Science and ICT previously signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for cooperation with Nvidia on the occasion of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

A senior official in the science and technology community commented, "The attendance of the Deputy Prime Minister for Science and ICT, who leads ICT policy, at CES is a symbolic change that reflects the current government’s policy stance of aiming to become one of the top three global AI powers."