Seoul:<Text>
The new Lee Jae Myung administration has introduced a comprehensive five-year economic development plan aimed at transforming South Korea into a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI). The government intends to integrate AI across all sectors of society to foster what it describes as a "super-innovation economy," as part of efforts to counteract the country's weakened economic growth.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the blueprint, revealed on Friday, outlines the government's strategy to enable private companies to lead AI development, supported by extensive policy measures to establish a nationwide AI ecosystem. The focus will be on developing a sovereign AI model accessible to the public, alongside customized AI models for key industries to drive innovation and expedite AI adoption.
Since taking office in June, President Lee has committed to establishing South Korea as one of the top three AI powerhouses globally, pledging an investmen t of 100 trillion won (approximately US$71.5 billion) over the next five years. Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol highlighted the importance of AI-driven transformation as a solution to the economic slowdown exacerbated by a declining working-age population.
The government has revised its growth forecast for the export-dependent economy to 0.9 percent for this year, attributing the adjustment to trade challenges posed by increasing U.S. tariffs. Minister Koo emphasized the collaborative effort needed from companies, government bodies, academic institutions, and the public to achieve substantial results swiftly.
The plan includes launching 30 AI-centered innovation projects, such as developing humanoid robots for logistics, with future expansion into manufacturing, construction, and services. Other objectives include commercializing autonomous vehicles by 2027 and completing the development of unmanned ships by 2030.
To enhance AI integration in manufacturing, the government aims to expand AI-based smart factories, particularly in the automobile sector, with a target of over 40 percent AI adoption by 2030. AI-powered drones will also be developed for specialized sectors like firefighting and aviation to boost operational efficiency.
In the pharmaceutical industry, AI will be introduced into the drug approval process to automate tasks such as data analysis, aiming to reduce review times. Similarly, AI will be incorporated into public administration, initially in welfare and employment services, and eventually in tax administration to detect potential tax evasion through AI-based tax consultation services by 2026.
To cultivate a skilled workforce, the government plans to implement tailored AI education programs for various groups, including elementary and secondary students, and establish a national AI training data cluster to integrate datasets from both public and private sectors.
The blueprint also includes dev eloping a Korean-language AI model with five leading domestic companies-Naver Cloud Corp., Upstage, SK Telecom Co., NC AI Co., and LG AI Research-receiving state support to create homegrown AI foundation models.
Currently, South Korea ranks between sixth and 10th in global AI competitiveness and innovation, lagging behind the United States and China, based on various industry reports.