From using AI to solving problems: Civil servant training is changing

[Financial News] Discussions are gathering momentum on improving civil servant training to develop the ability to solve real administrative challenges, rather than merely use artificial intelligence (AI) for work. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Local Government Officials Development Institute said it held the LOGODI Global Forum 2026 on the 27th at the National Intangible Heritage Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, with heads of training institutions from 8 countries and heads of human resources development institutes from Korean provinces and metropolitan cities, among others, in attendance.
The theme of this year's forum, now in its eighth edition, is “An Era of AI in Everyday Life: Innovating Education and Training and Strengthening Local Government Capacity.” It was organized in response to concerns that the competencies required of civil servants and their training methods must also change as AI spreads across all areas of administrative work.
Moon Hwi-chang, president of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Cyber University, outlined in his keynote address the competencies public-sector talent will need in the AI era and directions for education and training, drawing on Korea's development experience.
Kang Kyung-hoon, a team leader at the National Information Society Agency (NIA), introduced Korean civil servants' experiences using AI. He explained how cases in which civil servants used AI to directly solve administrative challenges are being expanded across their organizations.
Kim Myung-shin, who oversees LG AI Research, presented on “Building Trustworthy AI Together,” addressing the ethics needed to use the technology and directions for change in education.
Officials from training institutions in various countries also took part in the discussion, including the acting head of Sri Lanka's Institute of Development Administration. They discussed the competencies required of civil servants in the AI era and the role of training institutions.
On the 28th, participants will take part in a hands-on program using Google's generative AI, Gemini. They are also scheduled to visit NAVER and the Korea Institute of Public Administration (KIPA) to learn about examples of digital technology use in Korea and the current state of public administration research.
Park Dae-min, acting head of the Local Government Officials Development Institute, said, “We will continue to work with the participating institutions to ensure that the experiences and ideas shared this time lead to tangible changes in education and training on the ground in each country.”
[email protected] Lee Bomi Reporter