South Korea's Ministry of Education will establish a dedicated "AI Talent Support Bureau" in January to oversee artificial intelligence education spanning from elementary school through lifelong learning programs.
The new bureau will consolidate AI competency-building functions previously scattered across multiple departments handling elementary, secondary, higher, and continuing education, aiming to enhance policy continuity. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also announced plans to establish an "AI Education Center" by 2027 and operate advanced training programs in partnership with Seoul National University and Yonsei University.
"This represents a fundamental transformation of the Ministry of Education to nurture future talent for the AI era," Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said.
Experts Flag High Regulatory Barriers in Advanced Industries
A survey of 219 professors at four-year universities nationwide conducted by the Korea Employers Federation found that 76.7% of respondents believe Korea's regulatory environment for advanced and emerging industries is more restrictive than in the United States, Japan, and China.
Some 61.6% of respondents said Korea should accelerate the transition to negative regulation, where activities are permitted unless explicitly prohibited. However, 58.5% gave positive assessments of the government's regulatory reform policies.
Trade Insurance Agency Partners with Construction Guarantee Fund for Overseas Projects
Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-Sure) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Construction Guarantee to support Korean companies in winning overseas construction projects.
The two organizations will jointly provide guarantees and financing needed for overseas construction project bids and collaborate on medium- to long-term export financing for large-scale funding requirements.
"Opportunities for Korean companies to win overseas construction projects are expanding significantly, particularly in nuclear power plants, energy, and infrastructure," K-Sure President Chang Young-jin said.
Additional News Highlights
Seoul's housing market risk index reached 0.9, the highest since 2010, according to the Bank of Korea's "2025 Second Half Financial Stability Report." Seoul apartments now account for 43.3% of nationwide market capitalization as of late November, surpassing the 2020 peak. Monthly rent transactions reached 60.2% of all housing lease deals in October, well above the long-term average.
The government has activated a task force comprising the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Pension Service's fund management division to enable more flexible execution of strategic currency hedging, as the won-dollar exchange rate approached 1,483.6 won, near post-financial crisis highs.
Banks face an estimated 3.8 trillion won ($2.8 billion) in additional costs next year from increased contributions to the Korea Inclusive Finance Agency, education tax hikes, and banking law amendments. The common contribution rate on household loan balances will rise from 0.06% to 0.1%, bringing annual contributions to an estimated 381.8 billion won, up approximately 200 billion won from this year.
