Sovereign AI - Chief Ha Jung-woo's Strategy for Fostering Engineering Talent and AI Independence

The Importance of Sovereign AI

In the 21st century, the center of geopolitical competition among nations is shifting from 'energy' to 'data and technology.' In particular, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a foundational technology that influences a nation's overall capabilities across various fields, including military, industry, health, finance, and education. The United States and China already possess large language models (LLMs) led by their respective countries, broadening the competition for AI supremacy, while the European Union (EU) is simultaneously strengthening its digital sovereignty and AI regulatory frameworks.

Sovereign AI Concept and Goals

In this context, 'sovereign AI' is positioned not merely as a technological strategy but as part of a national agenda for securing information control and diplomatic and security strategies. In a structure that relies on foreign AI platforms, it is challenging to develop AI that aligns with national language, data, and ethical standards, which can lead to a deterioration of policy independence. South Korea has also set a national goal to strategically cultivate a 'Korean language-based independent AI' in response to these risks, which has been defined within the concept of 'sovereign AI.'

Chairman Ha Jung-woo's nurturing policy

In June 2025, the presidential office appointed AI expert Ha Jung-woo, a former Naver employee, as the chief secretary for AI future planning, restructuring the control tower of AI policy around private technologists. This appointment emphasized both 'practicality' and 'expertise,' signaling a shift in policy direction beyond mere symbolic appointments. The first policy announced by Chief Ha was a plan for nurturing talents in the fields of science and engineering.

The Importance of Nurturing STEM Talent

He emphasized that "without a comprehensive talent development system from the early stages of elementary and middle school through to postdoctoral researchers, AI sovereignty cannot be realized," and shared specific details. This includes strengthening mathematical and scientific education content, establishing industry-academia linked engineering and science education programs, improving standard treatment for postdoctoral researchers, and expanding the utilization of experienced researchers. These policies are evaluated as an attempt not just for one-time support, but to transform research infrastructure and ecosystems into a 'sustainable structure.'

Hardware Infrastructure Support Plan

Particularly, Chief Ha has announced plans to implement policies in conjunction with support for hardware infrastructure, including securing computing resources, GPU infrastructure for AI research, and building a national AI cloud system. This is seen as an important measure to establish a foundation that can lead AI research to tangible results.

Sovereign AI and National Competitiveness

Does the development of sovereign AI immediately lead to national competitiveness? To answer this question, it is important to first point out that merely having the technical capability to develop LLMs on one's own is not sufficient. If technology is not interconnected with industries and society as a whole, the overall productivity and strategic position of the country will not change.

Industrial Application of AI Technology

Therefore, for sovereign AI to transition into a competitive advantage, the key lies in how AI technology is applied to real industries. For example, the technology should be integrated into areas such as smart manufacturing, diagnostic innovations through medical AI, unmanned intelligent systems in the defense industry, and efficiency improvements in public administration. Furthermore, if a country’s AI does not lead international technological standards or at least reach a competitive level, it may actually result in decreased cost-effectiveness.

Linkage between the private sector and academia-government

In this regard, the emphasis on 'close collaboration between the private sector, academia, and government' and the design of feasible policies highlighted by chief Ha may be a more important condition than the technology itself. Technology does not evolve independently it only transforms into substantial competitiveness when governance, industrial structure, and talent ecosystems operate simultaneously.

Realistic Challenges of Sovereign AI

However, it remains uncertain how effective these strategies will be in reality. First of all, the sovereign AI strategy requires a long-term and cumulative approach, but the South Korean political system is stuck in a short-term regime cycle and an evaluation structure focused on immediate results. This has led to criticisms that policies such as building a talent ecosystem or improving research infrastructure, which are emphasized by Deputy Secretary Ha, are difficult to maintain consistently.

Balanced Development of Science and Technology

Moreover, if AI is the sole focus, other important scientific and technological agendas such as fundamental science, climate technology, and population strategies may be neglected. Since government budgets and administrative capabilities are limited, a balanced perspective on the entirety of science and technology is necessary to ensure equitable growth in all areas.

Policy Implementation Capacity and Public-Private Governance

It is undoubtedly true that Ha Jung-woo is an outstanding technical expert, but his ability to implement policies that encompass public-private governance and his experience in inter-ministerial coordination are still unverified areas. In this regard, the participation of private technologists in national affairs is both an opportunity and a challenge.

The importance of technological independence

"Sovereign AI" is not simply a technical term. It is an answer to the question of whether a nation can secure independence in the digital age and autonomously build technological services for its citizens. In that sense, technological self-reliance is not just a choice but a matter of survival, and policies surrounding AI technology are interconnected with diplomacy, industry, and education as a whole.

Hajungwoo's Plan for Cultivating Science and Engineering Talent

The plan for fostering STEM fields by Chief Ha Jung-woo is a prerequisite for such a technological independence strategy. Technology without talent is an illusion, and a research ecosystem lacking sustainability yields only superficial results. The remaining tasks are 'will' and 'execution'. Technological independence and ecosystem development must proceed simultaneously, and when that is realized, Korea can establish itself not merely as a technology-consuming nation, but as a technology-strategic country.