The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) is launching "K-Moonshot," a cross-ministerial project aimed at solving scientific and technological challenges using artificial intelligence (AI).
The ministry held a launch ceremony for the "K-Moonshot Promotion Group," a government-wide oversight body, at Dragon City in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Thursday, and appointed 12 project directors (PDs), the ministry said. The K-Moonshot project aims to double research productivity by 2030 and resolve 12 major national-level scientific challenges by 2035 by introducing AI into the science and technology field.
The K-Moonshot Promotion Group is a body led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, which will review the performance of PDs in advancing their missions and coordinate policy and research and development (R&D) cooperation among related ministries.
The 12 PDs selected for each mission include: Lee Min-hyung, CEO of Astermov (AI scientist); Yeo Jun-gu, CEO of Daedong Robotics (humanoid); Nam Jin-woo, professor at Hanyang University (new drugs); Cho Il-joo, professor at Korea University (BCI); Shin Hyun-jung, professor at Sungkyunkwan University (solar cells); Yang Hyung-ryeol, head of the Innovative Fusion Reactor Design Group at the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (nuclear fusion); Lee Dong-hyung, head of the Molten Salt Reactor Core Technology Development Project at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (SMR vessels); Kim Wook, Physical AI PM at the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) (physical AI); Lee Chun-woo, director of the Space Exploration Research Center at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (space); Lee Sang-kwan, principal researcher at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (materials); Kim Ji-young, professor at Seoul National University (semiconductors); and Lee Soon-chil, professor emeritus at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) (quantum). As overall managers of each mission, the PDs will run the entire process from project discovery and planning to technology commercialization to achieve mission goals.
"To stay ahead in the AI hegemony race, securing AI competitiveness is important, but the ultimate goal of what we will accomplish through it is most important above all," Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon said. "We will push forward K-Moonshot with a sense of mission to solve the problems facing humanity, going beyond the technical dimension of simply integrating AI into science and technology."
