- First minister appointed by the new administration visits Seoul Biohub—the capital’s life-science innovation base—to kick off on-site engagements
- MSIT convenes a roundtable with leading experts to shape Korea’s AI-Bio future.
- MSIT will develop a National AI-Bio Strategy based on input from researchers and industry leaders.

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT, Minister Bae Kyunghoon) announced that on Monday, July 21, 2025, the minister made his first field visit since taking office to Seoul Biohub, a major life-science cluster in the capital. There he met with leading bio-venture firms, offered encouragement, and chaired an on-site roundtable on how best to nurture AI-driven life sciences (“AI-Bio”).

In his inaugural address, Minister Bae affirmed the new administration’s top priority to make Korea one of the world’s top three AI leaders and pledged active investment in future strategic technologies, particularly advanced biosciences. He noted that Korea is now at a decisive turning point and that the country’s future will depend on how it responds to the so-called “Coming Wave” of AI-driven scientific and technological change. To succeed, he emphasized, Korea must carve out an edge that no other country can copy, drive a nationwide transformation anchored in AI and next-generation science, and foster a vibrant, self-sustaining ecosystem of continuous innovation.

Reflecting that commitment, the minister chose Seoul Biohub—home to numerous life-science and medical start-ups—for his first on-site engagement, underscoring his aim to accelerate breakthroughs at the intersection of advanced bio-science and AI.

After touring Seoul Biohub’s resident companies and learning about their R&D pipelines, Minister Bae commended the researchers for their dedication to driving “real growth” in Korea’s life science sector.

The visit concluded with a roundtable that brought together AI-Bio researchers from industry, academia, and research institutes to discuss how AI can drive innovation in the bio sector and strengthen Korea’s global competitiveness.

Dr. Nam Jin-woo, Director of Next Generation Biotechnology Division at the National Research Foundation of Korea, presented “The Present and Future of AI-Bio,” covering the field’s evolution, domestic and global breakthroughs, global policy trends and Korea’s current standing, then outlined policy directions for advancing AI-bio convergence.

During the ensuing discussion, experts stressed that sustained government support is needed to
 ensure continuity in AI-Bio R&D;
 expand high-performance AI computing infrastructure and automation in laboratories and manufacturing;
 advance regulatory reform to facilitate the safe yet flexible use of medical and biological data;
 cultivate cross-disciplinary talent with expertise in both AI and life sciences; and
 build practical collaboration models among hospitals, companies and universities.

Minister Bae emphasized, “AI will evolve from a mere assistant into a true research partner.” He added that a true paradigm shift in advanced biosciences will require robust, end-to-end support—including R&D investment, AI-computing infrastructure, wider data access, workforce development, and regulatory reform. He pledged to translate the day’s input into a step-by-step roadmap, tentatively titled the “National AI-Bio Strategy,” covering technology development and lifecycle support for bio data.

“These efforts,” he said, “will deliver more effective new drugs to market faster and make personalized treatments widely available, while helping us tackle challenges such as climate change and food security through a sustainable bio-economy. As Minister of Science and ICT, I will ensure that AI is broadly adopted across the sciences so that ground-breaking discoveries reach society sooner.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT.


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