South Korea AI Action Plan 2026-2028

Overview

The Republic of Korea AI Action Plan 2026-2028, officially titled '대한민국 인공지능행동계획 (인공지능 기본계획(2026~2028))', represents a comprehensive national strategy aimed at accelerating innovation, strengthening digital infrastructure, and positioning South Korea among the world's top three artificial intelligence (AI) powers by 2028. This ambitious plan was finalized and approved by the National AI Strategy Committee during its second plenary session held on February 25, 2026, bringing together government officials, private-sector experts, and representatives from multiple ministries. Serving as the country's Basic Plan for Artificial Intelligence from 2026 to 2028, it outlines a sweeping strategy designed to embed AI across government, industry, and society, reflecting a concerted effort to drive national growth through technological leadership.

The newly adopted framework is a statutory plan under Article 6 of the AI Basic Act and encompasses a detailed roadmap with 99 execution tasks and more than 300 policy recommendations. These recommendations were developed through extensive public consultation and interagency collaboration, ensuring a balanced approach that considers both the advancement of the AI industry and the establishment of a foundation for trust and safety. At its core, the plan envisions national growth driven by AI, focusing on building an innovation ecosystem, transforming foundational infrastructure, and expanding global contributions. Key initiatives include expanding AI computing and data resources, strengthening AI talent development across all educational levels, promoting regulatory reform, and supporting industry-specific AI models in critical sectors such as healthcare and manufacturing.

Definitions

The Republic of Korea AI Action Plan 2026-2028 operates within the legal and conceptual framework established by the '인공지능 발전과 신뢰 기반 조성 등에 관한 기본법' (Basic Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and the Creation of a Foundation for Trust), commonly referred to as the AI Basic Act. This foundational legislation, which took effect on January 22, 2026, provides the essential definitions and principles that guide the Action Plan's implementation. The AI Basic Act broadly defines “Artificial Intelligence” as the electronic implementation of human intellectual abilities, such as learning, reasoning, perception, decision-making, and language comprehension. This comprehensive definition ensures that the Action Plan addresses a wide spectrum of AI technologies and applications.

Furthermore, the AI Basic Act introduces specific categories of AI systems that are subject to particular considerations within the Action Plan. These include “High-Impact AI,” defined as AI systems that could significantly affect human life, bodily safety, or fundamental rights, or pose a risk in specific critical domains. Examples of such domains often include healthcare, energy, transportation, hiring, and biometric analysis. The Act also defines “Generative AI” as AI that mimics the structure and features of input data to produce various outputs, such as text, sound, images, or video. These definitions are crucial for understanding the scope of the Action Plan's regulatory and developmental initiatives, particularly regarding risk management, transparency, and ethical guidelines for AI operators and users within South Korea.

Governance and Institutional Framework

The governance and institutional framework for the Republic of Korea AI Action Plan 2026-2028 is spearheaded by the National AI Strategy Committee (국가인공지능전략위원회). This presidential committee serves as the central "control tower" for national AI policy, playing a pivotal role in overseeing the development and implementation of the comprehensive action plan. Chaired by the President, the committee brings together key government officials, private-sector experts, and representatives from various ministries, ensuring a multi-stakeholder approach to AI governance. Its mandate includes not only the finalization and approval of strategic plans like the AI Action Plan but also continuous oversight to ensure measurable results and public benefit as implementation progresses.

Beyond the National AI Strategy Committee, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) plays a significant role as the primary ministry responsible for AI-related policy and development. The MSIT is tasked with formulating the AI basic plan every three years, promoting the AI industry, and supporting research and development. Other relevant central administrative agencies, local governments, and public institutions are also involved in the execution of the plan's numerous tasks and policy recommendations. This distributed yet coordinated governance structure aims to foster an environment conducive to AI innovation while simultaneously establishing robust frameworks for ethical development, safety, and public trust. The AI Basic Act also mandates the establishment of an AI Policy Center for strategic and intellectual development, and an AI Safety Research Institute for evaluating AI risk and developing standards, further solidifying the institutional framework.

Key Focus Areas

The Republic of Korea AI Action Plan 2026-2028 is structured around three overarching policy axes and twelve strategic areas, designed to comprehensively integrate AI across all facets of national life. The first policy axis, 'AI Innovation Ecosystem Creation,' focuses on establishing a vibrant environment for AI development. This includes building an 'AI high-speed road' by expanding high-performance computing and data resources, securing next-generation AI technologies, fostering AI core talent, and ensuring the availability of diverse AI models. A critical component under this axis is 'AI Regulatory Innovation,' which seeks to create a flexible and forward-looking regulatory landscape that supports innovation while addressing emerging risks.

The second policy axis, 'Pan-National AI-Based Grand Transformation,' aims to embed AI across various sectors and public services. This involves 'Industrial AX' (AI Transformation) to boost productivity in sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, and fisheries, as well as 'Public AX' for integrating AI into government services, disaster response, and safety systems. 'Regional AX' is also emphasized to ensure equitable AI development and utilization across different regions. The third policy axis, 'Contribution to a Global AI Basic Society,' highlights South Korea's commitment to global leadership in AI. This encompasses fostering an 'AI Basic Society' by promoting ethical AI use and digital inclusion, and leading 'Global AI Initiatives' through international cooperation and standard-setting. These interconnected focus areas underscore a holistic strategy to leverage AI for national competitiveness, societal well-being, and global influence.

Implementation Framework

The implementation framework for the Republic of Korea AI Action Plan 2026-2028 is designed for comprehensive, inter-ministerial execution, translating the strategic vision into tangible actions. The plan details 99 specific execution tasks and 326 policy recommendations, each assigned to relevant government ministries and agencies for implementation. The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), as the lead agency for AI policy, holds the largest share of these recommendations, followed by ministries related to education, industry, public administration, defense, welfare, and small and medium-sized enterprises. This broad distribution ensures that AI integration and development are addressed across all relevant sectors of government and society.

The implementation is structured with a phased approach, with specific timelines for various initiatives. For instance, a significant portion of the policy recommendations (24.8%) is slated for execution in the first quarter of 2026, with the majority (56.7%) planned for the second to fourth quarters of 2026. Longer-term initiatives extend into 2027 and beyond. Key projects include the establishment of an 'AI integrated civil service platform' by the third quarter of 2026, for which an Information Strategy Planning (ISP) will be developed. Furthermore, efforts to link proprietary AI foundation models with domestically produced AI semiconductors (NPU) are targeted for completion within 2026. The plan also emphasizes continuous collaboration between the public and private sectors, with mechanisms for public consultation and expert input integral to the ongoing refinement and execution of tasks.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation are integral components of the Republic of Korea AI Action Plan 2026-2028, designed to ensure accountability, track progress, and facilitate necessary adjustments to achieve its ambitious goals. The National AI Strategy Committee, as the central oversight body, is responsible for periodically reviewing the plan's implementation and assessing its effectiveness against the stated objectives. The overarching goal of elevating South Korea into the top three AI nations by 2028 serves as a key performance indicator, guiding the evaluation process across all strategic areas.

The plan incorporates mechanisms for continuous oversight to ensure measurable results and public benefit. This includes regular reporting from the various ministries and agencies responsible for executing the 99 tasks and 326 policy recommendations. While specific detailed metrics for each task may be outlined in subordinate implementation guidelines, the Action Plan emphasizes a commitment to a long-term framework for coordinated national AI policy, with ongoing assessment intended to inform future policy directions. Such a systematic approach to monitoring and evaluation is crucial for adapting to the rapidly evolving AI landscape and ensuring that the national strategy remains relevant and effective in fostering innovation, strengthening infrastructure, and maintaining public trust in AI technologies.

Penalties, Liability, and Appeals

While the Republic of Korea AI Action Plan 2026-2028 primarily serves as a strategic roadmap for AI development and governance, it operates under the foundational legal framework of the AI Basic Act, which addresses responsibilities related to AI systems. The Action Plan itself does not directly stipulate penalties, liability, or appeal mechanisms, as these are typically defined within the binding legislation and its subordinate decrees. However, the plan supports the establishment of a robust framework that underpins these legal aspects by promoting ethical AI development, transparency, and risk management.

The AI Basic Act, which came into effect in January 2026, assigns specific transparency and safety responsibilities to businesses that develop and deploy 'high-impact AI' and 'generative AI'. For instance, operators of high-impact AI are required to conduct impact assessments on fundamental rights before deployment, provide meaningful explanations of AI outcomes, and document safety measures. They must also implement AI risk assessment and a set of safety measures. The Act also mandates that generative AI outputs be clearly labeled to ensure user awareness and prevent misuse. Although the Action Plan focuses on strategic implementation, it implicitly aims to create an environment where these legal obligations are effectively met through initiatives such as 'AI Regulatory Innovation' and the development of a 'security vulnerability reporting and disclosure system'. The details concerning specific penalties for non-compliance, liability allocation, and the processes for appeals would be elaborated in the AI Basic Act's enforcement decrees and related regulations, which the Action Plan's strategic initiatives are designed to support and facilitate.

Relationship to Other Instruments

The Republic of Korea AI Action Plan 2026-2028 is intrinsically linked to and serves as a direct implementation strategy for the '인공지능 발전과 신뢰 기반 조성 등에 관한 기본법' (Basic Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and the Creation of a Foundation for Trust), also known as the AI Basic Act. This foundational law, enacted in December 2024 and effective from January 2026, provides the overarching legal framework for AI development and governance in South Korea. The Action Plan is explicitly designated as a statutory plan under Article 6 of the AI Basic Act, making it the primary instrument for operationalizing the Act's principles and objectives.

Beyond its direct relationship with the AI Basic Act, the Action Plan also integrates with and complements other national digital strategies. For example, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) considers the comprehensive plan under Article 6(1) and the action plan under Article 7(1) of the Framework Act on Intelligent Informatization when formulating the AI master plan. This ensures alignment with broader national goals for digital transformation and intelligent information society. The plan also considers the development of next-generation 6G technologies and strengthening cybersecurity, indicating its connection to national infrastructure and security policies. By situating itself within this broader legislative and strategic ecosystem, the AI Action Plan ensures a coherent and coordinated approach to AI development, leveraging existing frameworks while establishing new initiatives to propel South Korea's AI leadership.

International Alignment

International alignment is a significant pillar of the Republic of Korea AI Action Plan 2026-2028, reflecting South Korea's ambition to play a leading role in shaping global AI governance and fostering cross-border cooperation. The plan explicitly includes 'Global AI Initiatives' as one of its twelve strategic areas, underscoring a commitment to understanding international trends and actively promoting international collaboration in the field of artificial intelligence. This strategic focus aims to position South Korea as a key contributor to global AI standards and ethical frameworks, ensuring that its national AI development is harmonized with international best practices and promotes a trustworthy global AI ecosystem.

The government's commitment to international cooperation extends to identifying global AI trends, promoting the attraction of international organizations and events related to AI, and supporting the securing of overseas professionals in AI. This proactive stance is crucial for fostering mutual recognition of AI technologies and regulations, facilitating cross-border data flows, and addressing global challenges posed by AI, such as cybersecurity threats and ethical dilemmas. By actively engaging with the international community, South Korea seeks to expand its global contributions in AI, share its expertise, and learn from other leading nations, ultimately strengthening its national competitiveness and promoting a stable and beneficial global AI landscape.

Implementation Timeline

Compliance Checklist

Sources and References