Rival presidential contenders articulate their economic strategies, emphasizing artificial intelligence, deregulation, and the return of industries to domestic soil.
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Three presidential hopefuls in the 2025 South Korean elections—Lee Jae-myung (Democratic Party), Kim Moon-soo (People Power Party), and Lee Jun-seok (New Reform Party)—have unveiled their strategies to propel South Korea into a leading global AI power. Each candidate vies to accelerate the nation's technological advancement, with varying focuses:
Lee Jae-myung (Democratic Party)
With an eye on transforming South Korea into one of the world's top three AI powerhouses, Jae-myung proposes a massive investment of 100 trillion won into AI. This capital injection will be complemented by substantial budget increases for AI-related government initiatives. To support this development, he advocates securing more than 50,000 high-performance GPUs.
Jae-myung also envisions AI as a catalyst for economic recovery, planning to create regional AI innovation clusters and extend investment in AI-backed K-content exports. Notably, he will also focus on developing defense-related AI sectors, offering incentives to defense export companies.[1][4][5]
Kim Moon-soo (People Power Party)
Echoing Jae-myung's vision, Moon-soo aims to position South Korea among the world's top three AI powers by creating a joint public-private AI fund with an allocation of 100 trillion won. He is committed to nurturing up to 200,000 AI talents by expanding enrollment in AI graduate schools and software-oriented universities.
Beyond AI, Moon-soo's platform emphasizes enhanced national security and nuclear deterrence, reflecting broader strategic priorities.[1][2][3][4]
Lee Jun-seok (New Reform Party)
Though less detailed in his public discourse, Jun-seok includes AI and economic revitalization in his top 10 campaign pledges, suggesting that he too will leverage AI as a growth engine for South Korea's sluggish economy.[1][5]
In Summary
In essence, all three candidates regard AI as an essential driver for South Korea's future economic growth. Jae-myung leans towards a mix of aggressive government investment, private-sector stimulation, and defense AI. Moon-soo stresses a large-scale public-private AI fund and talent development. While details remain scarce, Jun-seok’s agenda also incorporates AI as a key aspect of his economic revival plans.
Their shared ambition underscores South Korea's strategic national commitment to becoming a global AI powerhouse, leveraging investments, talent development, and innovation frameworks.[1][4][5]
- Each candidate's opinion in the 2025 South Korean elections highlights the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) as a driver for the nation's economic growth.
- Lee Jae-myung from the Democratic Party advocates for a significant investment of 100 trillion won into AI, focusing on defense-related AI sectors and developing regional AI innovation clusters.
- Kim Moon-soo from the People Power Party proposes a joint public-private AI fund with a 100 trillion won allocation, targeting the production of up to 200,000 AI talents.
- Policy-and-legislation focused on AI’s role in the economy and national security will likely be a priority in South Korea, considering the candidates' opinions.
- The general news has been covering these political movements, emphasizing the increasing importance of AI within the industry and technology sectors.
- As the leading presidential hopefuls unite in their goal to make South Korea a global AI powerhouse, it remains to be seen how their opinions and plans impact the policy-and-legislation landscape of the AI industry within the broader context of defense, economy, business, government, and general news.
