Quick read: On May 28, 2026, South Korea’s government rolled out three AI-transformation policies on the same day. The Ministry of Science and ICT held a public hearing on the 6th Science and Technology Basic Plan and launched an AI/Software Service Pricing Reform Task Force. The Ministry of Health and Welfare selected seven providers for AI-powered welfare services with an 11.875 billion won (KRW) budget for 2026–2027. Together, the three measures align national strategy, public procurement rules, and on-the-ground services around one direction: a citizen-facing AI transition.
1. 6th Science and Technology Basic Plan — Public Hearing
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) opened public consultations on the draft 6th Science and Technology Basic Plan. The plan is positioned around the newly elevated Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology system, with the goal of consolidating ministerial and regional capabilities behind a single national roadmap. MSIT says it will collect expert and citizen input both on-site and online to maximize the plan’s completeness.
2. AI/Software Service Pricing Reform Task Force
MSIT also announced the formation of a Task Force to improve the pricing framework for AI and software services procured by the public sector. Korean public AI/SW projects have long suffered from underpriced contracts, short timelines, and outdated cost categories that do not reflect modern AI workloads such as data preparation, model training, and inference infrastructure. The Task Force is expected to revise standard rate-setting methods so that contract prices match real engineering costs.
3. Seven AI Welfare Service Providers Selected
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Social Security Information Service selected seven providers for the Welfare AI Application Fast-Commercialization Program. The two-year program (2026–2027) carries a total budget of 11.875 billion won. Two service tracks are funded:
- Psychological-care AI for loneliness and isolation prevention (5 firms): Lemong, Junction Med, Pong, V-Touch, On&On Information Systems. The companies will combine AI with IoT signals to analyze conversations and daily routines, detect social isolation early, and respond with empathic interactions. Mental Health Welfare Centers and Youth Future Centers will host field validation.
- Region-specific welfare guidance AI (2 firms): MetaBuild and Sejong DX. The two firms will integrate fragmented central- and local-government welfare data and recommend personalized welfare services. Field rollout sites include Gangseo-gu and Nowon-gu in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.
Why the three same-day announcements matter
Reading the three together, Korea is trying to align three layers in one motion. The Basic Plan sets the national vision. The Pricing Task Force resets the rules for how public money flows to AI projects. The seven welfare-AI providers deliver citizen-facing applications. If the public hearing produces concrete revisions, if the Task Force publishes new rate tables within 12–18 months, and if welfare AI pilots scale across ministries, May 28, 2026 may stand out as a turning point in Korean AI policy.
Related: Korea’s Three-Front Public Reform (May 26, 2026).
Sources
- MSIT — 6th S&T Basic Plan Public Hearing (Korean original)
- MSIT — AI/SW Service Pricing Reform TF (Korean original)
- MOHW — Seven AI Welfare Service Providers (Korean original)
Source: https://www.korea.kr/briefing/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156763965&call_from=rsslink