Deputy PM Bae Kyung-hoon leads funded drive to make AI ubiquitous across South Korea
| Source: Techmeme | Original article
South Korea’s deputy prime minister Bae Kyung‑hoon, a former AI researcher, is championing heavily funded programs to embed AI across the nation.
South Korea’s deputy prime minister and minister of science and ICT, Bae Kyung‑hoon, is the subject of a new profile in the Financial Times. The piece portrays Bae as an “unabashed evangelist” for artificial intelligence, highlighting his transition from a research career – including a published book championing the technology – to a political role in which he is steering “lavishly funded” programmes aimed at making AI ubiquitous across the country.
Bae, who took office in 2025, has made the Lee Jae‑myung administration’s ambition to rank among the world’s top three AI powers a central policy pillar. Under his watch, ministries are coordinating large‑scale investments in AI infrastructure, education and industry adoption, with the goal of embedding the technology in everyday services, manufacturing and public administration. The profile notes that while the drive is energetic, it also raises concerns among some observers about the speed and scale of deployment, echoing broader debates about governance, data privacy and workforce impacts.
The significance of Bae’s agenda lies in its potential to reshape South Korea’s economic landscape and its standing in the global AI race. By channeling substantial public funds into AI, the government hopes to accelerate innovation, attract talent and secure a competitive edge against rivals in the United States, Europe and China. At the same time, the approach tests the nation’s capacity to balance rapid technological rollout with safeguards against misuse and societal disruption.
Going forward, attention will turn to the specifics of the funding packages Bae is championing, the legislative measures that may accompany them, and how regulatory bodies will respond to calls for oversight. Observers will also watch for international partnerships that could amplify Korea’s AI push, as well as any domestic pushback that might shape the next phase of the country’s AI strategy.
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