Bae Gyeong-hun (배경훈), deputy prime minister and minister of science and ICT, shared South Korea’s policy direction for fostering AI as a driver of national innovation and economic growth at a Group of 20 (G20) innovation ministers’ meeting.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said Bae attended the G20 Innovation Ministers’ Meeting on Sept. 1 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, as South Korea’s lead representative.

Until last year, the G20 separately held a ministerial meeting on research and innovation and a ministerial meeting on the digital economy. The United States, this year’s chair, merged the two meetings into the G20 Innovation Ministers’ Meeting to link emerging technologies such as AI to economic growth and industrial innovation.

The meeting was attended by minister- and vice minister-level lead representatives and senior officials from 21 countries, including G20 members and invited countries such as Poland. The morning session discussed innovation measures spanning the full cycle from research and development of emerging technologies to demonstration and commercialisation and market diffusion, under the theme of an innovation-friendly policy framework.

Bae introduced that South Korea is expanding investment in basic research and is pursuing the abolition of the preliminary feasibility study system for research and development (R&D) and the simplification of research administration. He explained that it is also expanding challenging R&D, including the SEED project to discover future innovative technologies and the K-Moonshot project that applies AI to science and technology research.

He also shared efforts to build a technology commercialisation ecosystem through the deep-tech commercialisation support consultative body NEST and regulatory sandboxes to support the commercialisation of research outcomes.

The afternoon session discussed ways to expand AI across the public and social sectors and to train talent, under the themes of technology for opportunity and prosperity and fostering technology talent. Bae introduced the status of the Everyone’s AI Project, which supports anyone to use AI with the goal of becoming a global top-three AI country, and the pan-ministerial AX project for public-sector innovation.

He also outlined policies to build a Korean-style AI ecosystem, including three mega projects covering semiconductors, AI data centres and physical AI, as well as the Basic AI Act and AI ethical principles. He also explained talent development policies, including a nationwide AI capability enhancement programme and measures to secure skilled technical talent.

Bae held a bilateral meeting with Michael Kratsios, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), to discuss issues and cooperation measures in science and technology and information and communications technology, including AI. The outcome of discussions at the meeting is expected to be reflected in the G20 innovation ministers’ declaration.

Bae said, "Emerging technologies, including AI, are a key driving force that changes national growth, industrial competitiveness and the lives of the people." He added, "We will accelerate AI innovation and actively share our experience with G20 member countries."