Visitors on Dec. 3 line up at the Public-Private Cooperation AX Innovation Hall of the Korea Government Innovation Fair at Cheongju Osong Convention Center (OSCO) in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province (Cheongju OSCO).

By Kim Seon Ah
Photos = Kim Seon Ah

The town of Osong-eup in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, has presented a preview of the future of public administration with artificial intelligence (AI).

From Dec. 3-5 at Cheongju Osong Convention Center, the Korea Government Innovation Fair showcased the status and future of the public sector's digital transformation under the slogan "AI X Government Innovation = Happiness of the People."

The event presented cases of innovation rooted in sectors of daily life like welfare, public safety, regional economies and administrative efficiency. A combined 157 organizations including ministries, local governments, public institutions and private companies participated to show how AI is playing a tangible role in governance.

The highlight was the Public-Private Cooperation AX Innovation Hall, which was packed with visitors throughout the event. It presented a range of AI models in the public sector such as intelligent policy support tools, disaster prediction systems and data-based administrative services.

The efficiency of the technology drew oohs and ahhs when tested with the provided equipment.

Ongl, an AI-based, easy-to-understand service for converting information, drew crowds and strong responses.

EQ4All CEO Kevin Lee (left) and Sosohan Communication CEO Baek Jeongyoun, the two developers of Ongl, pose for a photo on Dec. 3 at the Korea Government Innovation Fair in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province.

Ongl uses AI to automatically convert the jargon-heavy texts of public documents such as administrative papers, policy guidelines and institutional explanations into everyday language. When a complex sentence is input, concise explanations appear on the screen with the summarized core content.

This service received rave reviews for narrowing the psychological distance between people and public administration by removing blind spots in information for the elderly, expats and the digital disadvantaged.

The two developers of Ongl, EQ4ALL CEO Kevin Lee and CEO of Sosohan Communication Baek Jeongyoun, stressed the value of the service above its technology.

"A society that doesn't need Ongl is the most desirable," Baek said. "We need to create an environment where policy and documents are written from the start with the informationally vulnerable in mind."

The 68 private companies attending the event showed how public-private cooperation is expanding the ecosystem of government innovation. This indicated the restructuring of digital transformation in the public sector focused on human understanding and participation instead of simple technical applications.

"I realized just how closely AI has penetrated daily life," visitor Won Seongjun said. "I think AI will make our daily routines even more convenient."

"This was an opportunity to learn more about AI-based administrative services, a hot topic nowadays," another visitor, Lee Jonghan, added. "I found it fun and informative with lots to see."

The expo concluded with a blueprint for the country's future as a leader in e-government and collaboration between technology and humanity.

sofiakim218@korea.kr