KISDI and MSIT Hold Public Forum on Korea's AI Ethics Principles

The Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI) and the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) held a public forum on "Korea's AI Ethics Principles" on August 14 at the Mozart Hall of the President Hotel in Seoul.

Under the theme "AI for All: Developing AI Ethics Principles Together," the forum was organized to discuss key issues in the draft AI Ethics Principles currently under development. Approximately 70 participants, including representatives from industry, civil society organizations, academia, the general public, and the media, attended the forum, which was also livestreamed online.

Since late 2025, the government has been developing "Korea's AI Ethics Principles" under Article 27 of the Framework Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of a Foundation of Trust (AI Basic Act). The principles are intended to serve as voluntary guidelines for all members of society to enhance AI safety and trustworthiness.

The new principles build on the "AI Ethics Standards" established in 2020 while reflecting recent technological developments, including agentic AI and physical AI, as well as changes in the policy environment following the implementation of the AI Basic Act.

In May 2026, MSIT and KISDI released an initial draft and began gathering feedback from industry, civil society organizations, academia, relevant government ministries, and the general public. A total of 116 written submissions were received and used to prepare the revised draft.

Professor Sang-Wook Lee of the Departments of Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence at Hanyang University, Chair of the AI Social Policy Forum, delivered a presentation titled "The Role of Ethics Principles in Innovation and Trust in the AI Era."

Professor Lee explained that rapid advances in AI technologies have made decision-making in AI development and use increasingly complex. He noted that ethical principles should not be viewed as constraints on innovation. Instead, they should help stakeholders consider relevant factors in responsible AI development and use ("Ethics as Helper") and enable such practices to be implemented ("Ethics as Enabler").

Following the presentation, Wooseok Choi, Director of the AI Safety and Trust Support Division at MSIT, presented the government's draft of "Korea's AI Ethics Principles."

A panel discussion on the draft principles was then moderated by Professor Myung Jae Moon of the Department of Public Administration at Yonsei University, Chair of the Coexistence and Innovation Subcommittee of the AI Social Policy Forum.

Panelists included Professor Soonyong Byun of the Department of Ethics Education at Seoul National University of Education, President of the Korean Society for Artificial Intelligence Ethics; Yoonhee Hong, Chairperson of the nonprofit organization Muui; Myung Yoon, Secretary-General of Consumers Korea; Jieun Lee, Senior Coordinator at People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy; Hyunjoo Kim, Division Director at the Korea Artificial Intelligence and Software Industry Association (KOSA); Kyunghoon Kim, AI Safety Lead at Kakao; and Jinsu Lee, Director-General for AI Policy Planning at MSIT.

During the discussion, Professor Byun noted that AI has become part of society's essential infrastructure and suggested that public perceptions should move beyond viewing AI primarily as a source of risk requiring caution. He also considered that the draft principles generally reflected this approach.

Representing civil society, Yoonhee Hong emphasized the need to enable broader public participation in AI development and use. She also suggested moving beyond an approach that regards citizens mainly as beneficiaries and instead recognizing them as holders of rights.

Industry representatives expressed the view that the ethics principles should serve as practical references for AI development and use without becoming new regulations or uniform obligations.

Kyunghoon Kim emphasized the importance of distinguishing ethical recommendations from legal obligations. Hyunjoo Kim noted that ethical principles could help address the gap between legislative processes and technological advances, particularly as new developments such as agentic AI and physical AI continue to emerge.

Following the panel discussion, in-person and online participants were invited to share their views on the proposed AI Ethics Principles, their implementation, and expectations for government action. Their comments were discussed during an open exchange.

Kyungman Kim, a senior official at MSIT, explained that the principles were being developed as common standards for an AI-based society, taking into account the perspectives of different members of society. He stated that the government would review the opinions raised during the forum, incorporate them into the final principles, and support their implementation by government agencies, businesses, and citizens.

The draft "Korea's AI Ethics Principles" was made available through the MSIT–KISDI AI Ethics Communication Channel (https://ai.kisdi.re.kr).

MSIT also outlined its plan to review the feedback collected during the public forum, revise the draft, and formally establish and announce the principles in August 2026.