South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has announced his nomination of Dr. Bae Kyung-hoon to lead the Ministry of Science and ICT (“MSIT”). Shortly after this announcement, Dr. Bae affirmed his commitment to implementing President Lee’s pledge to make Korea one of the top three global powers in artificial intelligence (“AI”), and promoting science-based growth. An AI specialist in his late 40s, Dr. Bae led the LG AI Research Institute until his nomination. 

He will be appointed once he is confirmed in the National Assembly’s nomination hearing, which is expected to be held in the coming weeks. If confirmed, he will be the youngest-ever Minister of Science and ICT.

Dr. Bae has spent his career working on AI projects in private sector research labs, including at Samsung-Thales, SK Telecom, LG Business Research, and LG Electronics. At LG, he led the development of EXAONE, a family of generative AI models. He holds a doctorate in Electronic Engineering from Kwangwoon University and has already been deeply involved in South Korea’s AI and technology policy as a member of the Presidential National AI Committee and co-chair of the Public-Private Policy Council under the Personal Information Protection Commission.

Industry insiders reportedly perceive Dr. Bae to be a “hands-on” leader with practical knowledge and experience. His nomination is one of several Lee administration appointees with private sector expertise, signaling the new administration’s drive to boost the economy through technological innovation and development.