Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword in the industry. It is already transforming daily life and corporate production methods, from search and translation to document creation, factory automation, and drug development.
In the context of the U.S.-China power rivalry, AI has become a strategic asset that influences military, economic, and diplomatic superiority. This backdrop has led the government to recently announce three major mega-projects for South Korea's leap forward, centered on semiconductors, physical AI, and AI data centers. The plan aims to establish the brain, body, and heart of AI domestically to maintain a competitive edge.
However, voices from the science and technology and information technology sectors are more anxious than optimistic, especially as the 22nd National Assembly enters its second half. Contrary to its name, the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee (the Science Committee) has been more focused on broadcasting and politics than on scientific issues.
Disputes over appointments in the Broadcasting, Media, and Communications Committee and the governance structure of public broadcasting have dominated discussions, pushing science and technology issues to the background. This has led to self-deprecating remarks that the committee should be called the 'Broadcasting Committee' instead.
The special law for AI data centers was dramatically passed in the National Assembly after the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment managed to reconcile their differences over power provisions. However, not all bills have reached such conclusions. Basic science and research and development (R&D), which have been prioritized in AI policy, have not had sufficient opportunities to be discussed.
As the competition for technological supremacy accelerates, the pace of the National Assembly has slowed. Ironically, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's budget cuts for R&D have brought the scientific community back into the political and media spotlight. While the pain in research fields has been significant, it has also reaffirmed that the R&D ecosystem is directly linked to the nation's future.
Now that the political utility of the budget cut controversy has faded, the scientific community fears being pushed back into obscurity. Initiatives like K-Moonshot, which supports long-term, high-risk research, and efforts to restore the damaged research ecosystem may be sidelined due to their lack of political appeal compared to broadcasting issues.
Thus, the policy meeting held by the Science Committee on July 22 is seen as a small change. A government official who attended the meeting expressed relief, stating, 'The ruling party showed deep interest and a proactive attitude toward science and technology and IT policies.' The fact that issues from the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Broadcasting, Media, and Communications Committee were discussed separately is also encouraging. It signals a potential shift away from treating science and technology as a mere appendix to broadcasting politics.
The challenge now is whether these signals will translate into tangible results. Government policies do not operate merely through announcements. Budgeting, taxation, permits, power grids, site selection, and talent development all require legal and institutional support. Policies that cross departments, the private sector, and localities, like the three mega-projects, necessitate organic coordination among the government, ruling party, and opposition cooperation.
Of course, the constitutional principle of checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches must be upheld. However, checks should not be about hindering progress, and cooperation should not equate to merely rubber-stamping legislation. The National Assembly should scrutinize government plans for weaknesses while responsibly facilitating necessary bills and budgets.
The government must also avoid interpreting cooperation as one-sided legislative support. It should transparently present issues such as funding, power and water burdens, local acceptance, and uncertainties in private investment, and respond to the National Assembly's scrutiny. This way, cooperation between the government and the ruling party can become a process that enhances policy completeness rather than a backroom deal or a race against time.
Science and technology may not be materials for boosting immediate approval ratings. However, as a window into the future, they offer a glimpse into the industries, jobs, and national prospects of the next decade. If the second half of the Science Committee remains focused solely on broadcasting, the government risks losing South Korea's future.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.