AI Policy Chiefs Enter Election Race, Raising Fears of a Leadership Vacuum

As the leaders of the policy control tower behind the strategy to make South Korea one of the world's top three AI powers are increasingly jumping into election campaigns, calls are growing for a plan to quickly fill the resulting gap in AI policymaking.
On the 6th, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) recruited Im Moon-young, standing vice chair of the National AI Strategy Committee, as a talent pick and decided to nominate him as its candidate for the Gwangju Gwangsan-eul constituency in the June 3 by-election for the National Assembly. With the Cheong Wa Dae AI Future Planning chief, one of the three pillars of the AI Three-Pillar Policy Control Tower made up of Cheong Wa Dae, the National AI Strategy Committee and the Ministry of Science and ICT, stepping down to run as the DPK candidate in Busan Buk-gap, the working-level head of the strategy committee has also left the post vacant.
The ruling party signaled its intention to strengthen AI legislative expertise in the National Assembly and reinforce regional AI hubs by putting former Senior Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning Ha and Vice Chair Im into the race. At a welcome ceremony for the talent recruits that day, DPK leader Jung Cheong-rae said, "Vice Chair Im is exactly the kind of talent needed for the Lee Jae-myung administration to help the National Assembly and the party actively support the AI Top 3 Power Strategy." He added, "I hope he will form a two-horse team with former Senior Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning Ha Jung-woo and play a major role in AI legislation in the National Assembly." In response, Im said, "I will create an era of AI industry revival led by local regions."
Despite the political leadership's determination, government ministries and industry players are voicing growing concern over the policy vacuum. Since the Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence took effect in January, the work of specifying regulations scattered across ministries, long-term tasks for Public AI Transformation and Industrial AI transformation, and interministerial policy coordination to achieve the goal of becoming the world's No. 1 Physical AI Nation have become urgent. Yet the people in charge have left their posts without successors being named.
The Ministry of Science and ICT has been pushing to enact the Special Act on the Promotion of the AI Data Center Industry, which would ease regulations on AI data centers. However, legislation is being delayed as the Ministry of Climate and Energy and the Ministry of Trade and Industry remain at odds over the bill. The government has also said it will step up efforts to attract overseas AI talent, but visa and research support systems are split among MSIT, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice, MOTIE and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Observers say the speed of interministerial coordination will determine whether the policy succeeds or fails.
cafe9@fnnews.com Lee Gu-soon Reporter