The Presidential Advisory Council on Science & Technology has long faced criticism as a "rubber stamp" that merely passes government proposals. From now on, we will restore trust and overhaul the system so it can fulfill its role as a constitutional body chaired by the president.
Vice Chair Lee Kyung-su of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science & Technology explained the direction of operations at a press briefing held on the 28th at the council's main conference room in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, and said the council should function not as a body that simply endorses science and technology policies, but as an advisory body that substantively supports the president's policy decisions.
The council is a presidential advisory body on science and technology policy grounded in the Constitution. Along with its advisory role, it also deliberates on major national science and technology policies and the allocation and coordination of research and development (R&D) project budgets.
Lee said, I have often been asked whether the president actually reads the reports produced by the council, and I see that as a challenge to whether the council has operated as a body that substantively supports the president's policy decisions.
In particular, Lee cited the previous administration's controversy over R&D budget cuts and a lack of communication with the science and technology community, saying it is urgent to restore trust in the council. He said, I am often asked how a plan to cut the R&D budget could have been approved and sent up during the deliberation process, and that question itself is an indicator that trust in the deliberative body has collapsed, adding, It is important to build a system so the same thing does not happen again.
To enhance operational transparency first, the council is expanding public access to meetings and live online broadcasts. Lee said, We will make the agenda-setting and discussion processes more transparent through live broadcasts of meetings, policy forums, and on-site feedback, adding, For sensitive or strategic issues, we will also hold closed-door discussions to enable substantive debate, and we will keep the process as transparent as possible.
The council's core agenda this year is the "AI great transition." The council is discussing key tasks such as cultivating science and technology talent for the AI era, improving the national critical technologies framework, strengthening future energy competitiveness, and converting public R&D data to AI.
Lee also cited rising power demand from the spread of AI data centers as a key task. He said, Because AI data centers can expand rapidly in three- to five-year cycles, we need to reflect AI demand in existing energy plans, adding, Regarding public R&D data, the government and public institutions should manage the data they hold as a national asset and establish a system for its use.
The council also plans to expand collaboration with the National Economic Advisory Council and the National AI Strategy Committee. It concluded that agendas entangling multiple ministries, such as the public R&D AI transition (AX), are difficult to handle at the level of a single committee. In June, it will hold a joint symposium with the National Economic Advisory Council and run roundtables on topics including innovation in the R&D budget framework and the use of public data.
Lee added, Science and technology is a national survival strategy beyond technology itself, and the council will help remove silos with other advisory bodies such as the National Economic Advisory Council and build an integrated advisory system centered on the president.