South Korea's AI future hinges on its global leadership, President Lee says

President Lee Jae-myung envisions a future where South Korea leads in emerging industrial sectors, particularly artificial intelligence. During a meeting with overseas Koreans in San Francisco, he emphasized that the nation's absence would hinder advancements in AI and overall industrial development.

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The new society will be one where South Korea is indispensable, and progress is impossible without it.

"From now on, we want to create a situation where South Korea is indispensable, and progress is impossible without it," Lee stated, contrasting this with the past strategy of learning from and following other countries. He highlighted the potential for new industries, such as physical AI, to emerge, building on the nation's current strength in semiconductors.

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From now on, we want to create a situation where South Korea is indispensable, and progress is impossible without it.

Lee also noted the common requests he receives during summit meetings, including calls for South Korea to establish semiconductor factories in other nations. He also mentioned increased demand for South Korean defense systems, citing their cost-effectiveness amid global conflicts. The president touched upon the global popularity of K-pop, acknowledging its significant cultural impact.

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The first request we hear during summits is to build semiconductor factories in their countries.

Addressing the challenges faced by South Korean citizens abroad, Lee pledged to improve voting accessibility. He acknowledged the significant cost and time involved for overseas Koreans to cast their ballots and proposed solutions such as increasing polling stations, introducing postal voting, or even electronic voting if security can be guaranteed. He drew a parallel with the United States' use of postal voting, questioning why South Korea could not adopt similar measures.

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Why can't we introduce postal voting when the US uses it?