Ha Jung-woo, the new vice chair of the Presidential Committee on AI, said he would work to go beyond the three AI powers and make Korea an "irreplaceable country" in the global AI core supply chain.
On Aug. 30, regarding the appointment, Vice Chair Ha said on the social network Facebook that "it seems they highly valued my experience in private-sector AI research, development, and commercialization, as well as my experience establishing the national AI strategy while serving as senior secretary for AI future planning at the presidential office. I feel a heavy sense of responsibility."
Vice Chair Ha assessed that Korea has global competitiveness in memory semiconductors and the capacity to catch up with the United States and China in advanced AI. He said, "If we achieve consolidation of these strengths into a single national AI strategy, Korea can go beyond being a leader in the AI era and become an indispensable country in the global AI core supply chain."
He added, "I will do my best to support the success of the three mega projects and to ensure that the seven SEED projects can be promoted successfully based on AI," and "at the same time, through regional AX and youth growth through AI, I will make sure that the fruits of the new high-growth era opened by AI do not go only to a few, but can be felt by all people as opportunity and growth."
Vice Chair Ha was selected as the first senior secretary for AI future planning, a post newly created right after Lee Jae-myung took office as president in June last year, and oversaw the national AI policy.
However, in April he stepped down as senior secretary for AI future planning to run in the North Busan A by-election for the National Assembly and lost to independent candidate Han Dong-hoon. He returned to public office about four months later as vice chair of the national AI strategy committee.