The OECD.AI Policy Navigator

Korea’s Public Procurement Service is developing an AI-specific evaluation framework for public procurement to enable the safe and effective adoption of AI products and services. The initiative introduces new assessment criteria covering AI performance, reliability, transparency, and risk management, addressing the limitations of traditional procurement standards. It aims to support trustworthy AI adoption while fostering innovation and market access for AI suppliers.

South Korea's AI Basic Act was passed by the National Assembly on 26 December 2024, taking effect January 2026. It consolidates 19 bills into a national governance framework, establishing an AI Master Plan, the National AI Committee, and an AI Safety Institute, while supporting the AI industry through R&D, data infrastructure, clusters, and SME/startup assistance, and setting transparency, safety and accountability obligations for high-risk and generative AI.

The Medical Artificial Intelligence R&D Roadmap (2024–2028), published in September 2024, is a national initiative to strengthen the development and adoption of AI in healthcare. It aims to improve medical services, support AI-based medical devices and drug development, and enhance data utilisation by developing interoperable health data systems, while reinforcing regulatory frameworks, ethics, and workforce capabilities to ensure safe and effective implementation.

AI Hub is South Korea's national AI data platform, operated by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the National Information Society Agency (NIA). Since 2017, the platform has made available AI training datasets, enabling researchers, SMEs, ventures, and university students to access the data.

The Open Government Data Portal (data.go.kr) is South Korea's national platform for accessing and sharing public government data. It provides access to data files, open APIs, and standardised datasets published by government agencies, covering sectors such as education, health care, transportation, agriculture, finance, and culture.

South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) is investing approximately KRW 1.46 trillion (around USD 1.1 billion) to procure 13,000 high-performance GPUs, distributed across three cloud service providers — Naver Cloud, NHN Cloud, and Kakao. Announced in July 2025, the initiative aims to expand domestic AI computing infrastructure, reduce reliance on overseas resources, and support AI research, large-scale model training, and national AI initiatives.

Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups secured 264 B200 GPUs under the National AI Project to support SMEs and startups. Delivered free via NHN Cloud, two programmes are funded: a manufacturing project (64 GPUs) targeting production and quality control AI, and a startup incubator (200 GPUs) covering strategic AI development, industry-specific solutions, and early-stage founder support. Applications run April–May, support commences June 2025.

The government supports AI innovation to boost regional economies, especially outside the capital area. This initiative connects regional AI policies and projects to reduce the gap between capital and non-capital regions. It aims to help local industries grow and recover from challenges like COVID-19 through AI-driven solutions.

Objectives:To test out new technologies and services in the real market.To allow the government to improve related regulations based on real-life data.

The Implementation Strategy for Trustworthy AI aims to build social trust in AI by addressing risks like bias and privacy concerns. It supports the growing AI industry by setting clear ethical standards and guiding the private sector to use AI responsibly. Developed by the government, this initiative helps ensure AI innovation benefits society while minimizing potential harms.

The South Korean government and the National Information Society Agency (NIA) have established the Ethics Guidelines for the Intelligent Information Society to establish a new code of ethics to proactively respond to the social and cultural impacts and dysfunctions of intelligent information technologies such as AI.

The Human-Centered National Guidelines for AI Ethics set government standards to ensure AI technology is used responsibly and fairly. It aims to protect people from risks like bias, discrimination, and privacy violations while supporting AI innovation. This initiative benefits society by promoting trustworthy AI that improves quality of life and industry productivity.

AI Hub is an AI integration platform that anyone can utilize and participate in by supporting AI infrastructure (AI data, AI SW API, and computing resources) necessary for the development of AI technologies and products and services.For users of the AI hub, we provide infrastructure services for development and utilization and services for AI activation.

The Presidential Committee on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (PCFIR) helps guide Korea through rapid technological changes like AI. It supports businesses by creating a safe space for innovation and learning from trial and error. This initiative aims to boost Korea's global competitiveness and help industries adapt to new digital challenges.

While machines replaced manual labour of humans during the industrialization in the past, artificial intelligence now is developing beyond automation to a level that can perform intelligent tasks that could only be done by humans. As AI is causing a paradigm shift not only in terms of technology but one that encompasses all sectors including humanities, Korea is preparing for the shift on national and social levels.

It is necessary to break down high-cost and low-efficiency structures lacking qualitative outcomes relative to the high R&D investment ratio and secure a driving force for new growth. In line with the changes in the policy environment such as the arrival of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the increased social importance of science and technology, the focus of the national R&D system needs to shift from economic growth to people and society

The Korea New Deal aims to boost the economy and create jobs by focusing on digital and contact-free industries. It was developed to respond to the COVID-19 crisis and speed up digital transformation in Korea. This initiative benefits businesses and workers by improving data infrastructure and expanding high-speed internet access.

South Korea's initiative aims to improve the data and AI ecosystem by addressing shortages of quality data and skilled AI researchers. It supports better data sharing and stronger use of AI across industries and society. This effort helps businesses, researchers, and policymakers benefit from advanced AI technologies and a connected data market.

AI is a core technology of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which will revolutionize the entire economy and society. In this context, this initiative has been developed to come up with a national strategy for securing national competitiveness in AI.

Korea's 6th National Informatization Master Plan aims to accelerate digital transformation and improve public services using intelligent technologies. It was developed to address fragmented e-government systems and limited use of data and smart technologies. The plan benefits citizens, businesses, and government by promoting innovation, building trust, and creating a human-centered digital society.