Public institutions are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to drive operational innovation. Incheon International Airport Corporation has reduced the number of aircraft approach recognition delays by 90%, while the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) has significantly shortened the time required to prepare export market analysis reports.
On October 28, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Science and ICT jointly held the '2026 Public Institutions AI Innovation Achievement Contest' in Seoul, awarding 30 outstanding projects. This year's inaugural AI Innovation Challenge saw 105 public institutions submit 316 projects, with 30 selected from 27 institutions after a review process.
The award for best utilization case went to Incheon International Airport Corporation. By employing AI video and voice recognition along with radar technology, the airport enhanced safety management throughout the air traffic control process, resulting in a 91.3% decrease in aircraft approach recognition delays, from 23 incidents to just 2.
The award for the proof of concept (PoC) category was won by Korea Western Power for its project 'K-AI Intelligent Autonomous Power Plant Construction.' This initiative proposes the establishment of an autonomous power plant using AI and robotics, potentially saving 2.12 billion won annually.
AI applications are also expanding in safety management for infrastructure such as roads and dams. Korea Expressway Corporation has automated the detection of damage to roads, bridges, and tunnels, improving inspection efficiency by approximately 80%. Korea Water Resources Corporation is using AI and digital twins to continuously monitor 37 national dams, reducing inspection time and costs by up to 95%.
AI is also being utilized to identify welfare blind spots. Korea Electric Power Corporation analyzes unusual patterns in electricity usage to operate a service aimed at preventing solitary deaths, linking it with local government welfare services. This initiative has successfully rescued 15 individuals in emergency situations, demonstrating its impact in safety and welfare.
In the business and export support sectors, efficiency improvements have been reported. KOTRA's 'AI Export Assistant' has cut the time needed to prepare export market analysis reports from 27 days to just 5 minutes. The Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency supports companies in protecting their trademarks by providing early alerts on suspected unauthorized use of domestic trademarks abroad.
The event featured presentations of award-winning cases, along with policy announcements aimed at spreading AI innovation in public institutions and expert discussions. Korea Western Power and Incheon International Airport Corporation shared their best practices, while the achievements of the Public Institutions AI Utilization Council and private sector innovations from LG CNS and Upstage were also highlighted.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Lee Hyung-il stated, “We will redesign the functions of public institutions to be more citizen-centered and accelerate the AI transformation.” He emphasized the need to develop necessary services proactively so that the benefits of AI innovation can be experienced in the daily lives of citizens.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance plans to register the selected projects in the AI dedicated section of the public institution technology market for sharing and aims to disseminate outstanding achievements through the Public Institutions AI Utilization Council. The selected projects will also be reflected in the AI innovation bonus for the 2026 public institution management evaluation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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