The South Korean government will require all public officials to complete AI training and plans to launch an integrated AI service for citizens across welfare, safety, taxation, agriculture, and food and drug fields. Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung reported the "AI democratic government realization strategy" at a Cabinet meeting on the 25th.
The plan centers on making government services proactive rather than reactive. Instead of waiting for citizens to find the right form or office, AI systems will identify what people need and deliver it. The government will upgrade the AI national secretary service and standardize public services so they work on private platforms like Kakao and Naver, alongside the state-run "Everyone's AI" service.
AI in disaster safety and public services
Disaster safety is a priority. The government will use AI to provide safety information in 22 languages so foreigners can quickly grasp emergency situations. An AI consultation system will launch in five high-impact fields: welfare, safety, taxation, agriculture, and food and drug safety. That includes AI consultations for care services, tax payments, infectious disease information, and dietary guidance.
Older adults will get an AI health management system. Young people will receive customized job search information. A platform called "Square for Everyone" will use AI to collect and analyze public opinion, feeding it directly into policy decisions.
Government web and app services will be rebuilt to be AI-friendly, standardizing access points across agencies.
AI inside the civil service
The internal workings of government will shift too. Through the intelligent work management system "OnAI," AI will handle administrative tasks including legal review and drafting report outlines. Individual ministries will run specialized projects: the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will operate an AI drug review and approval service, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will run an AI building permit service, and the Korea Meteorological Administration will develop a Korea-style AI weather and climate foundation model.
The government set a goal of mandating AI training for all public officials and fostering 20,000 experts capable of in-house AI development. An annual competition on AI utilization for public officials will also be held. For public sector workers looking to build those skills, AI for Government training resources cover practical implementation cases. Officials involved in policy design may also find the AI Learning Path for Policy Makers relevant, as it addresses how AI changes governance structures and service delivery.
"The core of an AI democratic government is not simply adopting technology but enabling the public to become the true owners of state affairs through AI," Yoon said. "We will deliver changes and results that people can tangibly feel in their daily lives."
Why this matters for government professionals
South Korea is making AI training mandatory for every public official, not optional. That sets a clear expectation: AI literacy is becoming a baseline job requirement in government, not a specialization. For public sector employees elsewhere, the practical takeaway is to start building hands-on AI skills now - drafting with AI, reviewing documents with AI, and understanding how automated systems make decisions. The officials who can work alongside these tools will be the ones leading the next wave of public service design.
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