South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT announced the Agentic AI Initiative at the 11th Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting held on the 23rd, unveiling a national strategy to secure leadership in the agentic artificial intelligence ecosystem. The government identified agentic AI — systems that autonomously plan tasks and execute them by connecting with external systems — as a core technology reshaping industry profit structures, service models, and individual productivity. The initiative responds to a competitive shift from model performance toward efficient integration of data, business systems, and tools that enable real-world action.
Ministry Outlines Three Strategic Pillars for Agentic AI Development
The initiative comprises three strategic pillars prepared jointly by relevant ministries: leading agentic AI safety and trust, establishing an open agentic AI execution infrastructure, and promoting demand-driven adoption. The government assessed that future competitiveness will depend on how efficiently systems connect data, business operations, and tools to translate into actual actions, rather than focusing solely on model performance as in previous AI competition phases.
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Government to Issue Safety Guidelines Within the Year
The Ministry of Science and ICT will prepare Agentic AI Safety and Trust Guidelines within the year to address risks specific to agentic AI, including authority misuse, sensitive information leaks, and goal deviation. The government plans to build datasets and benchmarks for evaluating performance and safety, and will review identity verification mechanisms for AI agents and accountability frameworks based on agent actions.
Support Measures Target Domestic Execution Ecosystem and Market Development
To foster the domestic execution ecosystem, the government will support development of life-oriented AI agents and related tools, and cultivate private marketplaces for trading and distributing trusted services. The initiative includes development of core technologies for AI operating systems that integrate AI models, inference, agents, and external tools, alongside token efficiency technologies.
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Flagship Projects and Regulatory Sandbox to Accelerate Industry Adoption
The government will enable citizens to utilize general-purpose chatbots and specialized AI agents through the AI for All Project. Large-scale flagship projects involving foundation model companies, infrastructure firms, service developers, and demand-side enterprises will be implemented across major industries. Agent services facing regulatory barriers for demonstration will receive ICT regulatory sandbox treatment, while companies will receive professional consulting support for adoption diagnostics, risk management, and operational system establishment.
The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to develop detailed policies in the second half centered on the Agentic AI Alliance, which launched in April with approximately 280 participating companies. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon stated that agentic AI represents a new turning point transforming work methods and the overall economy and society, and that the government will create an ecosystem where citizens and businesses can generate new value based on safety and trust.
FAQ
What did South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT announce on the 23rd?
The Ministry of Science and ICT announced the Agentic AI Initiative at the 11th Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting held on the 23rd, presenting a national strategy to secure leadership in the agentic artificial intelligence ecosystem through three strategic pillars.
When will the government issue agentic AI safety guidelines?
The government will prepare Agentic AI Safety and Trust Guidelines within the year to address risks including authority misuse, sensitive information leaks, and goal deviation specific to agentic AI systems.
How many companies participate in the Agentic AI Alliance?
The Agentic AI Alliance launched in April with approximately 280 participating companies, and the Ministry of Science and ICT plans to develop detailed policies in the second half centered on this alliance.
