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Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy Kim Yong-beom responds to a question from President Lee Jae-myung during a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on July 21. / Courtesy of Yonhap News

Kim Yong-beom, Chief of Staff for Policy at the Presidential Office, introduced the concept of a "Basic AI Society" on July 21, signaling the Lee Jae-myung administration's next core policy drive.

A key pledge from President Lee's campaign, the "Basic AI Society" aims to establish access to artificial intelligence as a fundamental right—akin to primary education and public health—ensuring that all citizens benefit from AI advancements.

Kim has previously shared his thoughts on Facebook regarding balanced regional development, semiconductors, and long-term strategy for the AI era. He also first floated the idea of "national dividends"—a proposal to share windfall profits from the semiconductor supercycle with society—on his social media page.

While the concept of distributing corporate profits to the public sparked debate at the time, prompting Kim and the Presidential Office to clarify it as a "personal opinion," ministries such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy have since brought the topic into the public square by holding discussions on methods for redistributing corporate excess profits.

With Kim raising the banner for President Lee's "Basic AI Society," government preparations to implement the policy are expected to gain full momentum.

In a Facebook post titled "In the AI Era, the State Organizes the Market," Kim emphasized, "Access to AI must now be viewed as a basic right. As long as AI serves as a driving force behind individual opportunity and growth, it is the state's responsibility to ensure no citizen is excluded at its doorstep."

Kim wrote, "If left solely to the market, no one will act first. Just as the state assumes responsibility for primary education and public health not because they are profitable, but because they are fundamental rights, the same applies to AI."

He further clarified that within a Basic AI Society, AI is not a temporary subsidy to be spent and exhausted, but rather an engine that fosters new productive capacity.

"Guaranteeing a minimum level of computing power to every citizen is fundamentally different from cash-based welfare," Kim explained. "While cash provides the power to consume, computing power provides the power to produce."

He added, "This is neither about giving people fish nor teaching them how to fish—it is closer to ensuring everyone has a fishing rod in hand. A market organized in this manner will lead to a society where more people not only use AI, but also actively participate in creating it. That is a Basic AI Society."

Since taking office, President Lee has consistently highlighted the necessity of building a Basic AI Society.

In particular, President Lee has advocated for the concept at various multilateral forums, urging the international community to join the effort.

During his address at the UN General Assembly last September, President Lee introduced the vision, stating, "We are striving to make a 'Basic AI Society' and 'AI for All'—where the benefits of technological progress are shared by everyone—the new normal for a new era."

He added, "As a 'globally responsible nation,' South Korea will take the lead in driving international cooperation so that AI serves as a tool to build a sustainable future for humanity."

Furthermore, at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Évian, France, last June, President Lee introduced the "Global Basic AI Society" vision, extending the domestic policy framework onto the world stage.

On the same day, the Ministry of Science and ICT held an information session in Mapo, Seoul, for the "AI for All" initiative, which aims to provide one AI agent per citizen by the end of the year. As the government's policy framework takes concrete shape, President Lee is expected to personally oversee progress to accelerate implementation.

                                                                                                           Hong Seon-mi