"I wanted to meet with the ministers responsible for the AI transition and hear how we can accelerate our efforts," Prime Minister Han Seung-sook said during her opening remarks at the AI ministerial meeting held on July 1 at the Government Seoul Building in Jongno.
Attendees included Minister of Science and ICT Lee Kwang-hoon, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-kwan, Minister of Climate Change Kim Seong-hwan, Chairperson of the Personal Information Commission Song Kyung-hee, Director of the National Data Agency Ahn Hyung-jun, Deputy Minister of the Interior and Safety Kim Min-jae, Deputy Minister of SMEs and Startups Noh Yong-seok, Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Yoon Chang-ryeol, First Vice Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Kim Young-soo, Second Vice Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Kim Yong-soo, Director of Economic Coordination Kim Jin, and Director of Regulatory Coordination Son Dong-kyun.
Han, who began her term earlier that day, participated in a doorstepping session in the morning before visiting the National Cemetery in the afternoon. The AI ministerial meeting marked her first official duty.
"I pondered what my first official schedule as Prime Minister should be, and I concluded that meeting with the ministers involved in AI was the most important," she stated.
She referenced the government's recently announced "three mega-projects" and expressed optimism that the forthcoming AI innovation ecosystem would promote balanced regional development and foster growth for both large and small businesses. "I believe today marks a significant step forward for our country," she added.
Han emphasized the need to swiftly advance policies centered on three key tasks: AI administration and public AI services, physical AI, and data openness.
She stated, "We must change the services that citizens can experience in their daily lives. It is crucial for the government to become a highly capable and useful platform, enabling civil servants to enhance their work efficiency through AI."
She also highlighted the challenge of utilizing physical AI to accelerate growth into a leading industrial nation, stressing the importance of prompt policy support across all government departments to facilitate fundamental changes in the economic structure.
Finally, she noted the significance of providing high-quality data to the private sector and citizens, announcing plans to actively convene data ministerial meetings.
Han concluded that "flexible and immediate communication among government departments is essential," expressing hope that the meeting would clarify each department's strengths and areas requiring collaboration, allowing for responsible management by the ministers and discussions on role distribution for overall coordination.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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