[Editorial] Business community submits 119 policy recommendations; government and National Assembly should embrace them

Competition among countries over advanced industries such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) is growing increasingly fierce. This is an era in which it is difficult for companies to win that competition on their own. Companies must focus on technological innovation, while the government and National Assembly identify the challenges businesses face and provide institutional support. A public-private partnership of this kind is needed. In this regard, the government and National Assembly should take a close look at the “2027 Business Community Policy Proposals” submitted by FKI. It contains 119 proposals across 10 areas, including AI transformation, strengthening the competitiveness of advanced and energy industries, improving the institutional framework for businesses, and the labor market.
Among the proposals, the section on physical AI is particularly noteworthy. FKI called for integrating the fragmented legal frameworks covering AI, robotics, autonomous driving, drones, and other fields, and establishing a framework law to support the industry as a whole. It also proposed designating pilot-operation zones, establishing a performance certification system, and creating special exemptions for using personal and video information for training.
There is a reason the business community has stepped forward to call for a framework law to support AI-related industries across the board. China, Japan, and other countries have already enacted relevant ordinances or drawn up national strategies, and are moving to open up data and establish test beds. The distinctive characteristics of advanced industries must be taken into account. Physical AI is technology that enables robots to operate in the real world while interacting closely with people. Without spaces for testing, certification standards, and data, even existing technology cannot make it to market. Developing a single robot and deploying it in the field is not enough; related technologies and services must be connected and integrated. That is why the business community is calling for an integrated framework law to support the industry.
It is not that the National Assembly has no relevant bills at all. In June, a special bill on physical AI was introduced as a lead-sponsored bill, with provisions for designating pilot zones and establishing a one-stop regulatory sandbox. Even so, bills centered on exemptions alone cannot easily capture the concerns of a rapidly changing field. The technology and market for physical AI change constantly. Exemptions and standards designed around the technology at a particular point in time mean having to wait for legislative amendments whenever new technology emerges.
Passing a single amendment bill in the National Assembly takes a long time. It reportedly took an average of 615 days for a bill to pass in the 21st National Assembly. The bill processing rate was just 30.2%. Quite a few bills were even scrapped after being pushed aside by deliberations on other major legislation. The National Assembly’s legislative process cannot keep pace with rapidly changing technology cycles.
A Chinese-made humanoid robot recently appeared at a National Assembly audit hearing. It was enough to alert lawmakers to Chinese-made robots that are leading the market. That must not be the end of it. To catch up with China, the National Assembly must consider what laws and institutions could help Korean companies and put those ideas into action.
It is difficult to build an advanced-industry ecosystem without public-private cooperation. The reality is that companies are racing ahead while institutions fail to keep up. The ecosystem will thrive if companies make bold investments and innovate, the government backs them with nimble industrial policies and regulatory reform, and the National Assembly moves things forward through legislation.