KCCI chairman: S. Korea risks falling behind in global AI race

Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Chey Tae-won has issued a stark warning about South Korea's standing in artificial intelligence, saying the country trails behind at least 10 others globally and risks becoming subjugated to more advanced AI powers.

Speaking on Monday to mark the fourth anniversary of his inauguration as KCCI chairman, Chey said, “South Korea is not even among the top 10 countries in AI capabilities. Large language models (LLMs) will be essential in the future, and South Korea must ensure it is not left without one.” “If we fail to develop our own LLMs, we will be subjugated,” he continued. “We must prevent South Korea from becoming dependent on foreign countries for AI technology.”

LLMs, which form the core of generative AI tools, are trained to predict and understand human language patterns. South Korean tech giants Naver and LG have launched their own LLMs to compete with dominant U.S. players.

Chey, who also serves as chairman of SK Group, emphasized the need to integrate AI across the manufacturing sector. “South Korea’s manufacturing competitiveness is no longer what it used to be, and we are already seeing the rise of strong new rivals,” he said. “It is now crucial to apply AI technologies to manufacturing in order to gain an edge and secure future production capabilities.”

The KCCI chairman also criticized outdated economic models based on domestic production and exports, calling for a shift in strategy. “Rather than trying to retain factories that are moving abroad, we should focus on enhancing our competitiveness through AI,” he said.


한재희 기자 hee@donga.com