President Lee Jae Myung applauds with tech business leaders during his meeting with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, third from left, in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Oct. 31, 2025. From left are Naver Chairman of the Board Lee Hae-jin, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Huang, Lee, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae
This is the fourth in a series of articles examining economic, political, diplomatic and social changes that have occurred during the Lee Jae Myung administration since the president’s inauguration on June 4, 2025.
During his first year in office, President Lee Jae Myung pursued aggressive policy pushes to achieve his ambitious goal of elevating Korea as one of the world’s top three artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouses.
The approach has drawn largely favorable responses from experts and industry officials, though they noted that key challenges remain over whether the administration can sustain the momentum throughout the remainder of Lee’s term and whether the policies can be implemented quickly and effectively enough to keep pace with the rapidly evolving landscape of the global AI industry.
