Korea Unveils Ambitious AI Strategy to Become Global Innovator and Exporter
September 1, 2026
The national AI strategy centers on building an ecosystem where citizens use AI, companies boost productivity, researchers conduct world-class work, and domestic industries leverage AI for global competitiveness, moving beyond mere imitation of US or Chinese models.
The path to thriving in the AI era is practical and actionable, focusing on cultivating talent, building infrastructure, driving corporate innovation, and promoting public-sector AI adoption to turn Korea from a consumer into a creator and exporter of AI-driven value.
Regulation and risk management will rely on safe, flexible standards and regulatory sandboxes that enable testing and iterative improvement without stifling innovation.
A long-term, stable AI policy framework should span at least a decade, covering talent, infrastructure, data, R&D, industry application, education, and regulation with broad input from government, industry, and academia.
Invest focus on strategically selected AI technologies aligned with core competitive industries—such as semiconductors, automotive and shipbuilding, and bio/medical—rather than chasing a generic, world-leading general-purpose AI.
Education and talent development must transform from elementary through university to foster mathematical thinking, problem-solving, and adept AI usage, while cultivating convergent talent and proactively attracting global talent.
The government should act as a market participant by adopting AI in public services and using procurement to create markets, ensuring public-sector-tested technologies can scale to private and export contexts.
A national AI computing backbone is essential, securing massive computing resources, GPUs, AI semiconductors, data centers, reliable power, and a coordinated national AI infrastructure to support research and industry.
The framing emphasizes that the AI revolution reshapes national power; avoiding an AI-poor future is critical to prevent productivity loss, brain drain, and erosion of economic independence.
Summary based on 1 source
Get a daily email with more AI stories
Source

서울시티 • Sep 1, 2026
What the government must do to avoid becoming an AI-poor nation