New PM vows to fast-track Korea's AI push on 1st day in office

Newly appointed Prime Minister Han Seong-sook on Wednesday vowed to help the government accelerate its push for artificial intelligence (AI) transformation to ensure Korea takes the lead in the rapidly evolving AI era. "Korea is no longer simply catching up in an era of sweeping transformation but is instead emerging as a country that leads such transformation,” Han told reporters on her first day in office after the National Assembly endorsed her appointment late Tuesday. She made the remarks while referring to the government's recent announcement of three megaprojects focused on semiconductors, AI and AI data centers to meet surging global demand for AI. The announcement was led by President Lee Jae Myung, reflecting his administration’s sense of urgency to position Korea at the forefront of the AI era. "The government must move more quickly to ensure necessary policies are implemented in a timely manner," Han said. The prime minister went on to say that “we will make bolder investments in AI and advanced industries while actively pursuing regulatory reform to remove barriers to i