▲ Bae Gyeong-hun, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, delivers a congratulatory speech at the joint symposium titled "AX Challenges and Responses: National Strategy for Innovation, Growth, and Inclusion," held on June 25.
The Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology and the National Economic Advisory Council have emphasized the urgent need to establish a national strategy to secure competitiveness and ensure inclusive transition in the era of AI Transformation (AX).
The two advisory bodies announced that they held a joint symposium today (June 25) at the International Conference Hall of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul, under the theme of "AX Challenges and Responses: National Strategy for Innovation, Growth, and Inclusion."
Lee Gyeong-soo, Vice Chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology, stated in his opening remarks, "As AI is deeply integrated into society and daily life, including businesses, industries, education, and employment, we must derive practical strategies that can address both the opportunities and the gaps created by this transition."
Kim Sung-sik, Vice Chair of the National Economic Advisory Council, said, "As we enter the era of Agentic AI and Physical AI, this is a new opportunity for South Korea." He added that it is necessary to build an AI full-stack strategy based on manufacturing competitiveness, data, and device capabilities, and to establish a national-level cooperation system.
Bae Gyeong-hun, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, and Chey Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also emphasized through their congratulatory speeches that the government and the industrial sector must work together to secure future strategies.
In the first session, which focused on strategies for introducing manufacturing physical AI and strengthening the AX industrial ecosystem, Professor Jang Young-jae of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) noted that AI is evolving into an ecosystem-based technology where sensors, communication equipment, and data infrastructure develop together, moving beyond IT system-centric models. He proposed AX innovation based on the manufacturing sector and a turnkey export strategy for "dark factories."
Kwon Yong-hyun, Vice President of LG Uplus, pointed out that if a domestic stack is not established, a significant portion of revenue could leak overseas, and suggested the creation of a sovereign AI ecosystem from a practical perspective.
In the session on national competitiveness and education redesign in the AX era, Ryu Keun-kwan, Professor Emeritus at Seoul National University, diagnosed that the spread of AI shows a "skill-biased J-curve" structure that asymmetrically reshapes labor demand based on skill levels. He presented the establishment of a selective and focused education system as a core strategy.
Bae Sang-hoon, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, emphasized the need to build a life-cycle customized AI education system to simultaneously promote AI education expansion and bridge the digital divide.
The two advisory councils stated that they would reflect the policy proposals and field opinions raised at this symposium in future presidential advisory and policy recommendation processes, and continue follow-up discussions.
(Photo: Provided by the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology, Yonhap News)
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