– Deputy Prime Minister Bae Kyung-hoon convenes the 8th Science and Technology-Related Ministers’ Meeting
– Supporting Korea’s leap toward becoming one of the world’s top three AI powers through the strategic acquisition, openness and utilization of data suited to the AI era
– Building a Manufacturing AX (M.AX) ecosystem by integrating masters’ tacit knowledge – the foundation of manufacturing – into AI transformation
– Accelerating administrative services and transforming ways of working through the launch and wider adoption of the OnAI mobile service
– Strengthening national drug response capabilities through stronger links between technology and the field, as well as R&D governance
– Securing industrial leadership and taking the lead in future innovation technologies through the promotion and support of National Strategic Technologies
– Enabling the early development of advanced and future materials through an AI-driven materials innovation R&D platform
– Expanding Korea’s global AI footprint and supporting its leap toward becoming one of the world’s top three AI powers by establishing and operating global AI innovation hubs
【Related National Policy Tasks】

20. Building an AI Highway to Propel Korea into the World’s Top Three AI Powers

21. Making Korea the World’s Most AI-Proficient Nation

22. Securing World-leading AI Technologies and Talent

24. Realizing the World’s Best AI-Based Democratic Government

28. Fostering NEXT Strategic Technologies to Lead the Future

29. Advancing into a High-Tech Industrial Nation by Identifying and Fostering New Growth Engines

74. Establishing Law and Order and Strengthening Public Safety Capabilities

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon presided over the 8th Science and Technology-Related Ministers’ Meeting at the Government Complex Seoul on Thursday, April 30. At the meeting, ministers discussed seven agenda items, including the “Direction for Data Policy in the Era of AI Transformation,” aimed at systematically and strategically securing data at the national level – one of the key elements for Korea’s goal of becoming one of the world’s top three AI powers.

Deputy Prime Minister Bae referred to the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Demis Hassabis, Co-Founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, during his recent visit to Korea marking the 10th anniversary of the AlphaGo match. He stated, “As AI helps solve scientific challenges and brings tangible changes to people’s daily lives, the government will continue to expand multifaceted global cooperation to advance AI-driven science and technology innovation, enhance the AI ecosystem, and promote the responsible use of AI.”

He also said, “It is now time to show the public tangible outcomes from the government’s AI investment and support,” adding that the government would soon conduct an intensive review of each ministry’s AX progress and future plans.

At the meeting, ministers discussed the “Direction for Data Policy in the Era of AI Transformation,” designed to secure high-quality data needed by the private sector and revitalize the ecosystem for data transactions, openness and utilization. They also discussed the “Measures to Support Manufacturing AX Based on Tacit Knowledge,” which aims to connect masters’ experience, intuition and judgment with AI models and to develop and deploy manufacturing AI solutions across industrial sites. In addition, ministers reviewed the “Plan to Launch the Mobile Service of the Intelligent Work Management Platform (OnAI) and Expand Its Use Across Government Agencies.” The plan seeks to improve the efficiency of government operations and transform ways of working by expanding the AI-powered work management platforms to more than 40 central government ministries and agencies.

The meeting also approved the “Science and Technology Support Measures to Strengthen National Drug Response Capabilities,“ which aim to address drug-related issues in advance by using advanced science and technology to prevent illicit drug smuggling and enhance detection capabilities. Ministers further approved the ”Direction for the NEXT National Strategic Technologies Project,“ which aims to mobilize national capabilities across ministries and public-private partnerships and provide focused support for National Strategic Technologies to generate world-first and world-leading outcomes.

In addition, the government finalized the “Strategy for Establishing an AI for Materials R&D Platform (2026-2030),” which includes independently developing AI models for materials and establishing autonomous experimentation centers dedicated to AI-based materials research for domestic industry, academia and research institutes. The government also finalized the “Strategy for Establishing a Global AI Innovation Hub,” which will reposition existing overseas IT support centers as full-cycle AI support hubs, known as KAIN, and operate them as strategic outposts for leading the global AI market.

As Agenda Item No. 2, the Ministers’ Meeting deliberated and approved the “Measures to Support Manufacturing AX Based on Tacit Knowledge.” This strategy was prepared to preserve manufacturing tacit knowledge that is disappearing as skilled workers retire, and to enhance manufacturing productivity by combining such knowledge with AI.

As Agenda Item No. 3, ministers discussed the “Plan to Launch the Mobile Service of the Intelligent Work Management Platform (OnAI) and Expand Its Use across Government Agencies.” The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to introduce a mobile service for OnAI, which incorporates the latest private-sector technologies, including AI, and expand its use across all central administrative agencies.

As Agenda Item No. 4, ministers discussed the “Science and Technology Support Measures to Strengthen National Drug Response Capabilities,” jointly prepared by relevant ministries to respond more effectively to the recent surge in drug-related crimes.

Following the joint development of “Direction for the Advancement of the National Strategic Technology Framework” by 23 ministries, agencies, and offices (approved by the PACST Deliberative Council on April 27, 2026) to proactively respond to the competition for technological dominance and consolidate national capabilities, the government has established the “Proposed Direction for the NEXT National Strategic Technology Project.” It has selected key projects necessary for achieving national targets as “National Strategic Technology R&D Projects” and decided to provide concentrated support for them.

Agenda Item No. 6, the “Strategy for Establishing an AI for Materials R&D Platform (2026-2030) (Draft)” aimed at accelerating AI-driven research and innovation (“K-Moonshot“), was reviewed and approved. This strategy was established to fully pursue a paradigm shift in materials R&D leveraging AI in response to intensifying global competition for technological dominance and growing supply chain uncertainties. With the vision of “Pioneering New Material Markets by Securing Proprietary AI Technologies for Materials,” the strategy focuses on the following four key initiatives:​

1) Independent development of AI models for materials, 2) Establishment of a cloud-based autonomous experimental center dedicated to AI for materials, 3) Strengthening data infrastructure dedicated to AI for materials, 4) Cultivating interdisciplinary talent in AI materials

Agenda Item No. 7, the “Strategy for Establishing a Global AI Innovation Hub (Draft),” was reviewed and approved. This strategy was developed to strengthen the global competitiveness of Korean AI companies by transforming the existing seven overseas IT support centers into the Korea AI Innovation Network (KAIN) and to support the global AI market entry and the creation of technological innovation outcomes through region-specific strategies.

It is expected that the Global AI Innovation Hub will serve as an outpost that translate the innovation capabilities of Korean companies and researchers into tangible results in overseas markets, thereby strengthening Korea’s global AI competitiveness and playing a pivotal role in establishing the country as one of the world’s top three AI powers.

Agenda Item No. 1, the “Direction for Data Policy in the Era of AI Transformation,” is scheduled to be finalized at a later date based on the discussions held at today’s meeting.