The Ministry of Science and ICT is ramping up efforts to achieve superpower status in artificial intelligence (AI) in the second half of 2026. The ministry plans to promote three major projects: AI data centers, physical AI, and K-semiconductors, while also launching the 'Everyone's AI' service this year, allowing citizens to access domestic AI for free.
During a pre-briefing ahead of a presidential report on July 15, Deputy Minister Ku Hyuk-chae stated, "The world is at a turning point where industrial and economic orders are changing," and added, "The Ministry will work to enhance economic vitality and open new futures through science and technology and AI in the second half of the year."
Accordingly, the ministry's key tasks for the second half include establishing an AI-based society, solving national challenges through K-Moonshot initiatives, creating an R&D system that recognizes research failures as assets, building a growth ladder for science and AI talent, revitalizing local economies through regional AX, and striving to become one of the world's top five aerospace powers.
First, the ministry plans to launch a universal AI chatbot service utilizing domestic AI models by the end of the year. The goal is to provide citizens with basic AI functionalities without cost or usage limitations. Deputy Minister Ku noted, "We plan to introduce four services in the second half of this year, including price comparisons for agricultural products, personalized export consultations, national heritage explanations, and responses to child sexual abuse crises on social media," and stated that the total will expand to ten services by next year.
According to Gong Jin-ho, head of AI policy planning at the ministry, discussions with companies indicate that launching the service within the year is feasible. He added, "We will prepare to achieve our service goals by supporting the necessary resources during the development and operation processes."
To bridge the AI usage gap, the ministry will also provide AI utilization training for a total of 5.14 million people by the end of the year.
The ministry is also strengthening its Sovereign AI initiative. Through an independent AI foundation project, it aims to secure performance levels within the global top ten by the end of the year and achieve top-tier performance models by next year. Choi Dong-won, director of AI infrastructure policy, stated, "The development of foundation models is currently evaluated to be in the top three globally," but noted the challenge of keeping pace with the continuous emergence of global models.
The K-Moonshot project, aimed at solving national challenges through science and technology, will also be accelerated. The ministry plans to set specific milestones for 12 challenges, including quantum computing and cybersecurity, and integrate AI into the research process to enhance scientific and technological advancement.
To encourage researchers to embrace failure, the ministry will improve the entire research and development process. Deputy Minister Ku announced, "We will introduce a 'failure assetization system' within this month, allowing researchers who do not meet initial goals to receive follow-up support or opportunities for re-challenge if their research process and outcomes are excellent."
He added, "Next year, we plan to establish a separate re-challenge track," but noted that further discussions are needed to determine which projects will be eligible and how to set support levels.
The government will also introduce 'investment-type R&D' to invest in new technology areas that are difficult for the private sector to fund. This approach will support companies through both direct funding and equity investments, creating a virtuous cycle by recouping the increased value of successful companies' shares for reinvestment.
Kim Joo-yeon, head of the ministry's science and technology innovation support team, stated, "If a company fails, the government will consider its investment as a loss," but added, "If the company succeeds, the government can recover profits based on the assessed value of the shares." She noted that specific plans will be finalized in the second half of the year for pilot projects.
The ministry will also accelerate talent development and attraction. Deputy Minister Ku mentioned plans to increase the number of gifted schools affiliated with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology and to attract over 600 outstanding international talents to South Korea. As of the end of June, approximately 380 individuals have already been recruited. He added that the government will provide up to 300 million won for individual researchers and up to 3 billion won for institutional recruitment.
Efforts will also be made to revitalize local economies based on AI. The ministry plans to strengthen the local R&D ecosystem by creating a dedicated basic research track for emerging local researchers and easing the R&D matching burden for local companies. Deputy Minister Ku stated, "We will establish regional AX hubs in four areas: Honam, Gyeongnam, Daegu-Gyeongbuk, and expand to three additional regions: Chungbuk, Gangwon, and Jeju," and noted that local autonomous R&D has increased threefold compared to the previous year.
Concrete plans to elevate South Korea to one of the world's top five aerospace powers are also being developed. The ministry aims to successfully conduct the fifth launch of the Nuri rocket in the second half of the year and select a site for the construction of the second space center to enhance domestic launch infrastructure. Additionally, it plans to complete a Korean low-orbit satellite communication network by 2035 and launch a small lunar lander by 2030.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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