Initiative overview
The AI Basic Act followed over four years of legislative discussion, having first been tabled in the National Assembly in July 2020. The 22nd National Assembly merged 19 separate bills through bipartisan agreement, passing the consolidated legislation through the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee on 26 November 2024, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee on 17 December 2024, and finally the plenary session on 26 December 2024. Korea is the second country in the world to enact such foundational AI legislation, following the US Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence (October 2023) and the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (June 2024).
The Act rests on three main pillars. First, it creates a framework for AI development and trust-based infrastructure: the Minister of Science and ICT may establish and implement an AI Master Plan every three years after gathering input from relevant ministries and local governments, and the Act provides the legal basis for the National AI Committee, chaired by the President and launched in September 2024, as well as the AI Safety Institute, a specialised body protecting citizens' lives, bodies and property from AI risks.
Second, it supports the AI industry through government backing for research and development, standardisation, training data policies, and the promotion of AI adoption. It stipulates the designation of AI clusters, the establishment of AI data centres, and the promotion of AI convergence, alongside measures for securing AI experts, special support for SMEs, and fostering of startups.
Third, it establishes a safe and trustworthy foundation for high-risk and generative AI, defining these categories as regulatory targets and setting obligations around transparency, safety, and operator responsibilities, alongside a legal basis for voluntary safety and trustworthiness certification and AI impact assessments.
