Lee Seung-don, who took office last year as the head of the Rural Development Administration (RDA), is recognized as an agricultural expert with 30 years of research experience. He is leading a new transformation in agriculture by integrating advanced technologies such as AI and robotics.
Lee graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in agricultural biology and earned his master's and doctoral degrees in plant pathology from the same institution. He began his public service career in 1995 as an agricultural researcher and has held various positions, including director of planning and coordination at the National Agricultural Research Institute, head of research policy at the RDA, and director of the National Agricultural Research Institute.
During his tenure as director of the National Agricultural Research Institute, Lee laid the groundwork for the future of farming by incorporating robotics and AI technology to address the challenges of declining agricultural labor and increasing production.
"It is our organization's role to solve the problems faced in agriculture and rural areas through science and technology, and I will lead a change so that all members understand and act on this," Lee said. He added, "We will create tangible results that the public can feel and enhance the future competitiveness of South Korean agriculture based on AI and agricultural satellites."
The RDA's 'AI Isak,' which was developed by the agency, received a presidential commendation in April for its contributions to government civil service. Lee noted that last year, AI Isak was used to provide 'AI-based management consulting' to 55 farms, resulting in an average increase of 25.9% in agricultural income compared to before the consulting. He emphasized plans to launch 'AI Isak 2.0' in September, which will include voice and video features, and to expand the number of farms receiving AI consulting to 1,000 this year.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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