South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT said on Tuesday it will overhaul its private expert program manager system for information and communications technology (ICT) research and development to focus on artificial intelligence (AI), as it seeks to become one of the world's top three AI powers. It also said it will appoint 6 new PMs with field expertise.

ICT R&D PMs manage the full R&D cycle to provide ongoing accountability for projects by technology area. The ministry expanded and reshaped what had been a single AI PM role into 4 areas: AI (core), AI semiconductors, AX convergence and physical AI, to strengthen AI R&D planning and management. It also created PM posts for regional AX and manufacturing AX to pursue more systematic and specialised projects.

The newly appointed PMs were selected as a final group of 6 from 49 applicants who applied through a recruitment notice in January: Yoon-je Oh (오윤제), AI semiconductors; Seong-ho Choi (최성호), communications and spectrum satellites; Jeong-jin Joo (주정진), quantum; Ki-ju Park (박기주), media and content; Won-cheol Bang (방원철), regional AX; and Jun-woo Lee (이준우), manufacturing AX.

Lee Do-gyu (이도규), head of the ministry's ICT Policy Office, said the overhaul and new appointments had put in place a core line-up for ICT R&D to help Korea become one of the world's top three AI powers. The ministry will do its utmost with the PMs, the top technical experts from the private sector, to realise the goal, which it described as a key government task, he said.