South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT and the Innovation Academy on March 3 said they will start accepting applications from Tuesday for the first intake of trainees for the practical AI specialist training programme CODYSSEY (CODYSSEY), under its AI all-in-one course.

The CODYSSEY AI all-in-one course runs for up to 18 months, including a one-month initial training period. Participants learn core AI technologies step by step, including computer science fundamentals, programming, data analysis, machine learning, deep learning, computer vision and natural language processing. They carry out an "AI all-in-one final project" in teams that integrates the full curriculum.

Applications will be accepted through March 23. Any South Korean adult, or anyone with at least a high school diploma, can apply regardless of major or work experience. After the one-month initial training period, the programme will evaluate participation and capabilities to select a final 150 people. Selected trainees will receive up to 1,000,000 won in scholarships, along with growth support programmes such as hackathons and job consulting.

Nam Chul-ki (남철기), software policy director at the ministry, said, "Training practical AI talent that can be used immediately in industrial fields is a key pillar of national competitiveness." He added, "We will continue to cultivate industry-tailored core AI talent that spans the capital region and the provinces."