Government Pledges to Secure Public Data as Key Asset for AI Era

Lee Gyeong-soo, Vice Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology, announced at his first press conference since taking office that public data will be utilized as a core strategic asset for the artificial intelligence (AI) era. He identified the urgent task for public data policy as bridging the gap between 'data availability' and 'usability,' explaining the need for domain-knowledge-based, purpose-oriented restructuring to secure data at a level suitable for AI training and industrial application. Designing data governance that considers personal information protection and security issues was also presented as a key task, with plans to develop strategies for leveraging it as a core asset for national AI competitiveness.

He emphasized the need to restore trust and normalize the functions of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology, which had faced criticism for acting as a 'rubber stamp' during past research and development (R&D) budget cuts. He stated the council would recover its original role as a direct advisory body to the President and ensure that proposed policies are actually implemented. He acknowledged that the R&D budget cuts and the 'hand-over-mouth incident' had damaged the pride of the science and technology community and eroded the advisory council's credibility.

Underscoring the importance of restoring the council's trust and normalizing its functions, he explained that agenda items would be identified through a combination of a top-down, demand-driven approach from the Presidential Office and a bottom-up approach based on field opinions, enabling policy advisory services that resonate with the government and the public. He added that the council would recover its original role as a constitutional advisory body to the President and ensure that proposed policies lead to implementation.