# Korea’s AI chief vows results, not just strategy > Source: > Published: 2026-08-31 06:06:52+00:00 Ha Jung-woo, standing vice chair of the Presidential Council on National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, pledged Monday to put execution at the center of Korea’s bid to become one of the world’s top three AI powers. In his inaugural address, Ha identified semiconductors, physical AI and AI data centers as the three pillars of the government’s strategy. “The world is entering a new era shaped by AI,” Ha said. “The council must set the country’s AI vision and serve as the center of national AI governance, connecting private-sector innovation with the government’s policy capacity to deliver tangible results.” Ha outlined three priorities: mobilizing national resources to strengthen Korea’s global competitiveness, accelerating AI adoption across industry and the public sector, and ensuring the technology’s benefits are widely shared. At the heart of the plan are three flagship megaprojects covering semiconductors, physical AI and AI data centers. The council will coordinate policies across ministries and strengthen cooperation with companies, linking Korea’s strengths in chips and AI infrastructure with robotics, manufacturing and other physical AI applications. The government expects the projects to attract private investment and create new growth engines. It also plans to connect them with regional industries and talent-development programs, spreading AI-led growth beyond the Seoul metropolitan area. “We will make necessary policy decisions swiftly, actively resolve disputes between ministries and boldly remove obstacles on the ground,” Ha said. The council will also promote AI adoption in research, education, health care and public administration to raise productivity and drive innovation. Ha stressed that the gains should not be concentrated among a small number of companies or segments of society. “AI should be a technology that expands opportunities for everyone and improves people’s quality of life,” he said. Under the government’s “AI for All” initiative, the council aims to broaden access to the technology and distribute its benefits more evenly across companies, regions, generations and income groups. Ha said the council would closely monitor the government’s AI action plan and three megaprojects, focusing on whether policies lead to actual investment, industrial growth and tangible public benefits. “A good strategy is only the beginning,” he said. “What matters is execution and results.” He also pledged to advance President Lee Jae Myung’s broader AI agenda, saying Korea should seek to become a global model in the AI era and ultimately “a country the world cannot do without.” Lee appointed Ha on Sunday, returning him to the center of the administration’s AI policymaking body about four months after he stepped down as senior presidential secretary for AI policy and future planning to run in a parliamentary by-election. yeeun@heraldcorp.com