South Korea presidential hopeful Han Duck soo vows to create AI ministry

SEOUL – South Korea’s conservative candidates failed to reach an agreement on unifying their presidential bids for now, an outcome that keeps frontrunner Lee Jae-myung in pole position as the start of the election campaign looms.

Former acting leader and current presidential hopeful Han Duck-soo met on the evening of May 7 with People Power Party (PPP) nominee Kim Moon-soo to discuss whether and how to unite their campaigns in a bid to rally conservative voters and avoid splitting the vote against the main opposition Democratic Party’s candidate, Mr Lee.

A cloud over Mr Lee’s candidacy was removed on the afternoon of May 7 after the high court delayed its first hearing on sentencing him over a legal violation until after the upcoming election, enabling him to run for the country’s top office.

Earlier in the day, Mr Han vowed to push forward the nation’s artificial intelligence expertise as he sought to consolidate conservative support ahead of the meeting with the ruling party’s nominee.

In outlining his first campaign pledge since he launched his presidential bid on May 2, Mr Han vowed to launch a new ministry to oversee the country’s artificial intelligence (AI) strategies and science innovation. Mr Han’s campaign said he aims to boost cutting-edge AI semiconductor production and create a 1 trillion won (S$926 million) fund to nurture local talent and court overseas scientists as Korea strives to catch up with global peers.

Mr Han, who currently has no affiliation with any party, is vying to represent the conservative camp even after the PPP nominated Mr Kim as its candidate on May 3. Mr Han’s priority on AI shows he intends to emphasise his experience as a veteran policymaker and former trade and finance minister in an attempt to consolidate support.

According to a survey conducted