DR & AJU Public Sector Relations Group's latest issue of its specialized legislative journal, the Policy & Business Report, is now available in digital format.
Major Presidential Candidates vie to unveil AI pledges—yet critics call for detailed roadmaps.
Ahead of the presidential election on June 3, candidates are taking steps to seize the initiative on artificial intelligence (AI) policy. With AI emerging as a key driver in the global race for technological hegemony, candidates have pledged to invest hundreds of trillions of won to position AI as a core engine of economic growth, with goals such as “joining the ranks of the world’s top three AI powers” and “securing technological sovereignty.”
Jae Myung LEE, who was elected as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate on March 27, unveiled a KRW 100 trillion investment plan for the AI sector. His initiative includes securing 50,000 GPUs to achieve infrastructure independence and promoting the development of AI-specialized NPUs. He also proposed developing an AI pilot city centered in Gwangju, popularizing AI through the ‘AI for Everyone’ project—distributing a Korean version of ChatGPT—and advancing AI-based society by integrating AI into finance and disaster response sectors.
Moon Soo KIM, a presidential primary candidate from the People Power Party, announced his goal of positioning the country as one of the world’s top three AI powers through a public-private joint investment of KRW 100 trillion. He pledged to establish regional AI convergence support centers and foster ten new technologies.
Dong Hoon HAN, another presidential primary candidate from the People Power Party, promised to invest KRW 200 trillion in the AI industry with the goal of making the country one of the world’s top three AI powers. His plan includes 150 trillion in investments in infrastructure, such as data centers, computing technology, and semiconductors, and additional investment in applied sectors such as healthcare, robotics, and national defense. He also pledged to newly establish the “Ministry of Future Strategy,” a state-level body for industrial strategies. In particular, his initiative includes strengthening AI capacities in national defense and the public sector by fostering domestic companies like Palantir.
Meanwhile, Jun Seok LEE, the presidential candidate from the Reform Party, has placed greater emphasis on human capital development over financial investment. He prioritized strengthening mathematics education in elementary, middle, and high school. Specifically, he proposed that the state take responsibility for math education by reinstating a nationwide academic achievement test in mathematics.
However, amid growing concerns over a potential global energy crisis triggered by the intensifying race for dominance in the AI sector, critics argue that the candidates’ policies will remain vague in their effects unless supported by concrete plans for securing power supply, investment strategies, and methods of deregulation.
As the first-ever Korean law firm to issue specialized legislative journals, DR & AJU Public Sector Relations Group has been publishing the monthly Policy & Business Report since August 2019. The March 2025 issue of the P&B Report conducted a full inspection of legislation proposed to the National Assembly Subcommittee, Standing Committee, and Plenary Session from the opening of the 22nd National Assembly on March 15, 2025, to April 14, 2025, and selected and analyzed legislation with significant impact on corporate activities. In the case of major legislation, key mentions of legislators, members of the Standing Committee, and government officials are included.
*DR & AJU Public Sector Relations Group provides P&B Report subscription services. Please contact us at Ic@draju.com for further inquiries.
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