Digital Government Review of Korea

1. Assessment and recommendations

Abstract

This chapter presents the assessment of the state of digital government in Korea, based on the analysis undertaken as part of this review. It includes recommendations which aim to support the country in harnessing digital and data to transform government. The assessment and recommendations are structured around four areas: (1) strengthening governance, investment, and skills for digital government; (2) improving data governance, sharing, and use; (3) leveraging AI for government transformation; and (4) delivering human-centred and proactive public services.

Strengthening governance, investment, and skills for digital government

Contextual factors

Overall administrative culture

Korea has consistently maintained its commitment at the highest levels of government to advance digital transformation, with strong executive leadership and policy dedication across administrations. This centralised approach enables Korea to pursue ambitious digital initiatives, including early government computerisation and strategic investments in national information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. Its focus on digital transformation as central to administrative reform has yielded notable advancements, underpinned by a merit-based public service and investments in digital workforce development. However, Korea faced challenges related to institutional fragmentation due to historically siloed approaches in ministry-specific ICT systems, which have created interoperability issues. The country has sought to resolve these through inter-ministerial co-ordination and collaboration.

Socio-economic environment

Korea benefits from a highly connected, digitally savvy and innovation-driven society. Robust ICT infrastructure facilitates rapid adoption and user uptake of digital public services, including high levels of internet penetration and mobile connectivity, as evidenced by the nationwide use of the government artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, Guppy. Nevertheless, shifts in demographics and socio-economic disparities present risks of digital exclusion. In response to these challenges, Korea has implemented initiatives such as the Digital Inclusion Action Plan to mitigate disparities in access to digitally enabled services across demographic groups, including by age, region, and income bracket.

Technological context

The country’s advanced ICT infrastructure, tech industry, and sustained investment in emerging technologies substantially enhance the country’s capacity to drive digital transformation. Korea’s technological advancements – reflected in nationwide network connectivity and shared ICT infrastructure – enable the rapid deployment, scaling and integration of digitally enabled public services. This also contributes to creating a strong foundation for innovation, resilience, and responsiveness across the public sector.

Environmental and geographical factors

Korea’s environmental and geographical context has influenced the rapid deployment and resilience of digital government initiatives. The predominance of an urbanised population, especially within the Seoul metropolitan area, enables the implementation of advanced digital infrastructure and services. Furthermore, the repeated exposure of the Korean peninsula to natural disasters and security threats creates the need for robust and resilient digital government. Korea’s use of digital tools during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic underscores its agility and preparedness to sustain public service delivery in difficult times. Nevertheless, increased reliance on digital and data-intensive public services requires the government to continuously strengthen its disaster-recovery strategies.

Institutional model

Korea’s institutional model demonstrates its mature and cohesive approach to digital transformation of the public sector, underpinned by strong leadership, long-term institutional capacity, and central co-ordination, complemented by cross-government committees and supporting agencies.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) is entrusted with steering Korea’s digital transformation within and co-ordinating implementation across the public sector. This mandate is firmly established by the Government Organization Act, enacted in 1948, and the Electronic Government Act, enacted in 2001. MOIS’s strategic positioning – the management of the resident register, government innovation and efficiency, local government administration, and government organisation management, including prescribed numbers of public officials – enables Korea to embed digital-by-design and data-driven principles into the core functions of government. Furthermore, several technical agencies, which offer domain-specific expertise and implementation support, provide a solid foundation for the government’s digital transformation efforts without adding bureaucratic layers.

Korea also has a multi-layer leadership model, with political commitment, an empowered leading institution (MOIS), and a network of Chief Intelligent Information Officers (CIOs) from each public sector institution, including local governments. Formal co-ordination bodies, such as the Presidential Committee on Digital Platform Government and the CIO Council, facilitate co-ordination and collaboration across ministries and levels of government, as well as with academia and the private sector. Additionally, Korea seeks to reinforce co-ordination efforts through shared platforms and systems, and legal obligations, minimising duplication of efforts.

Nevertheless, it is imperative that Korea enhances the agility and inclusiveness of its institutional mechanisms. There is scope to streamline co-ordination among bodies with overlapping mandates, ensuring the continuity of initiatives and avoiding bureaucratic complexity. This is crucial to preventing the formation of silos as new committees are established to implement new national objectives, particularly in the context of government transitions. Furthermore, greater efforts are required to ensure that all stakeholders, including central ministries and agencies, local governments, citizens, and business can voice their needs and contribute to and direct the development of digital government.

Policy levers

Korea demonstrates continued commitment to digital transformation, underpinned by robust policy levers to enable strategic planning, implementation, and adaptation. These levers comprise a combination of strategic frameworks, legislative instruments, and financial mechanisms that translate high-level ambitions into operational change across the public sector.

Successive national strategies, including the Digital New Deal (2020) and the Digital Platform Government Roadmap (2023), establish digital transformation as a national priority. These are accompanied by five-year master plans prepared under the Electronic Government Act, which require institutional alignment and set measurable objectives. The 2021-2025 master plan outlines Korea’s vision of “A Better World Opened by Digital” and is operationalised through strategic pillars and detailed activities with assigned responsibilities. Such discipline ensures continuity and coherence across political cycles.

Nevertheless, frequent changes in overarching political agendas risk disrupting key initiatives and reducing their return on investment. Korea should continue to take stock of past achievements in its future strategies and build on ongoing initiatives to yield results. Additionally, in today’s rapidly evolving environment characterised by technological disruption, the country’s strategic agility and adaptability remain critical.

The legal and regulatory framework of Korea evolved to accommodate emerging societal needs and technological advancements. The Electronic Government Act is the foundational legislation for digital government, while complementary legislation – such as the Act on the Promotion of Data-Based Administration and the Framework Act on Intelligent Informatization – establish the foundations for data-driven administration, and the use of AI and other emerging technologies. Regulatory innovation has been facilitated by mechanisms such as sandboxes, which permit real-world testing and iterative rulemaking. However, as innovation continues to outpace regulation, it is important to strengthen inclusive engagement with private sector, academic, and civil-society actors to ensure that legal and regulatory frameworks remain relevant, well-understood and implementable.

Digital government investments

Management of investments in digital government should ensure that public funding delivers value for money, supports service quality, and meets citizens' growing expectations. As governments accelerate digital transformation efforts, public sector spending on digital technologies globally is projected to have increased by 8.4% per year from 2024 to 2027. This trend takes place in a context of fiscal pressure, where public administrations are expected to do more with less.

An end-to-end approach to public investment in digital government is essential for ensuring that digital initiatives are cost-effective, well-executed, and strategically aligned. Korea serves as an example of this, supported by centralised oversight, structured processes, and clear performance incentives. This approach to managing investments aligns with the three pillars of the OECD’s Digital Government Investment Framework: (1) Strategic Planning; (2) Coherent Implementation; and (3) Comprehensive Oversight. However, there are additional measures that could be undertaken to further strengthen risk management and to introduce practices that could enhance investment outcomes.

Under the Strategic Planning pillar, Korea demonstrates strong institutional leadership and inter-ministerial co-ordination to prioritise and approve digital projects. Its use of mandatory feasibility studies and reviews for major initiatives ensures efficient resource allocation, alignment with national priorities, and solid risk management. However, there is opportunity to put a greater focus on user needs, rights protections, environmental sustainability, and more agile funding mechanisms.

In terms of Coherent Implementation, Korea institutionalised a standardised project-management methodology and a centralised procurement model. These are delivered via structured planning and oversight processes and supported by the Korea ON-line E-Procurement System (KONEPS), which is being modernised with AI and blockchain capabilities. However, there is opportunity to enhance the responsiveness and innovation in the public administration, which could be promoted by integrating more agile methodologies and pursue new procurement models, such as outcome-based contracts and public-private GovTech partnerships.

Finally, Korea’s approach to Comprehensive Oversight includes thorough annual performance reviews and digital financial systems. These ensure accountability but could benefit from increased project transparency and environmental impact evaluation, in line with global good practices.

Digital talent and skills

The digital transformation of society means that users have high expectations when it comes to their interactions with government and how it delivers for them. Governments must equip themselves with the digital skills and profiles to lead, navigate and implement digital transformation. Many countries have adapted their work environments to foster higher-level digital competencies, creating the necessary professions, introducing essential digital skills, and offering retention plans to support their digital transformation goals.

The OECD Framework for Digital Talent and Skills in the Public Sector outlines a comprehensive approach to building and sustaining a digitally capable workforce. It emphasises three pillars: (1) creating an enabling environment for digital work; (2) developing digital skills across all public servants; and (3) establishing a strategic, future-ready workforce.

Korea demonstrates leadership in advancing these goals. The Comprehensive Plan for Civil Servant Talent Development (2024) commits to strengthening digital and AI competencies, supporting self-directed learning, and aligning talent development with national priorities. This includes role-based training, foundational education for new hires, and continuous learning opportunities through digital platforms.

To promote a data-driven culture, the government introduced the Guideline for Building Data Competency, which supports improved data governance, the creation of specialised roles, and inter-agency collaboration. These measures embed data-informed decision-making across institutions.

However, challenges remain. Korea can face challenges in carrying out long-term complex projects especially in technical domains like digital transformation due to the rapid pace of technological change and frequent personnel movement. Addressing this requires greater flexibility in career paths, increased support for role-specific training, and targeted retention strategies – especially in high-demand areas like cloud computing, AI, and data analytics.

The government also leverages partnerships with the private sector and academia to address skill gaps and ensure public institutions remain aligned with evolving technological trends. Continued investment in talent development, institutional culture, and workforce planning would maintain an agile, innovative, and citizen-responsive public sector.

 

Proposals for action In view of the assessment elaborated above, which draws on the findings and analysis in Chapter 3 of this review, the Korean government could consider the following policy recommendations and actions.
1. To safeguard Korea’s agility and continuity of governance arrangements in digital government while ensuring its inclusiveness and responsiveness to evolving national objectives: a. Review, streamline, and clarify the objectives and roles of co-ordination bodies to avoid duplication and institutional fragmentation. b. Expand the channels for stakeholder participation, focusing on local governments, citizens, civil society, and the private sector to encourage a sense of shared ownership of digital transformation priorities.
2. To reinforce the sustainability and coherence of Korea’s digital transformation strategy: a. Strengthen the coherence and impact of the strategic documents through alignment, simplification, and co-ordination. b. Build new national strategies and master plans upon past achievements and maintain continuity across political cycles to ensure strategic investments in digital government initiatives. c. Maintain the legal obligation to develop five-year master plans under the Electronic Government Act while allowing flexibility to adjust to external shocks or technological disruptions.
3. To reinforce the legal and regulatory framework to keep pace with evolving societal needs and technological advancements: a. Systematically engage with a wider set of stakeholders from the private sector, academia, and civil society in the development and revision of laws and regulations. b. Ensure that regulatory updates are well-communicated and supported by guidance to promote uptake and compliance across public sector institutions. c. Build public sector capacity to support implementation of regulatory and strategic instruments.
4. To enhance the strategic management of digital government investments: a. Strengthen the budget approval and evaluation processes by requiring public institutions to assess and demonstrate how their digital initiatives address user needs, environmental impacts, and individual rights. b. Enhance agility by introducing multi-year funding options, funding for innovation teams rather than fixed projects, conditional overspend allowances with strong business cases, and dedicated funds for digital technologies such as AI. c. Expand the risk management framework to systematically include environmental risks – such as energy use, sustainability, and climate impacts – in the planning and delivery of digital government projects. d. Modernise public procurement by incorporating GovTech collaborations via design contests, pre-commercial procurements, innovation partnerships, competitive dialogue, and outcome-based contracting. e. Promote agile practices that support iterative design, user-testing, and continuous improvement and that equip public institutions with the principles, tools, and governance needed to work in an agile way. f. Improve public accountability and performance with an online dashboard publishing regular, publicly accessible updates on digital and ICT projects. g. Monitor and assess the environmental effects of digital projects during and after implementation.
5. To promote the development of digital skills and talent: a. Enhance stability in digital and technical roles by encouraging long-term service in digital areas, offering targeted retention incentives, and professionalising its digital workforce b. Expand performance-based rewards, career-development pathways, and flexible work arrangements to retain top digital talent. c. Consider structured exchange or secondment programs between the public and private sectors to expose civil servants to private-sector innovation and practices and to shift the digital mindset of the civil service. d. Develop a strategic approach to ensure the consistent implementation of Korea’s training initiatives across national and local governments.

Improving data governance, sharing, and use

Data is a foundational asset for 21st-century government – essential for driving better policies, services, and outcomes. As data and digital technologies transform economies and societies, governments face increasing pressure to meet growing citizen expectations, manage complex policy challenges, and operate with greater efficiency and transparency. Data access and sharing are central to this transformation: public sector data alone is estimated to generate social and economic benefits worth 0.1% to 1.5% of GDP, rising to as much as 4% when private-sector data is included. The extent of these benefits depends heavily on how open, accessible, and well-governed the data is.

Data governance in the public sector

Korea has a comprehensive and forward-looking framework for public-sector data governance. This is underpinned by strong political will and top-down leadership from the MOIS), supported by the National Information Society Agency (NIA), and a clear strategic vision codified in dedicated legislation. As evidenced by the 2023 OURdata and Digital Government Indexes, Korea stands out among OECD countries for the breadth and coherence of its legal, institutional, and policy frameworks aimed at enabling a data-driven public sector.

One strength of Korea’s approach is the dual legislative backbone provided by the Act on the Promotion of Data-Based Administration and the Act on the Promotion of the Provision and Use of Public Data. These establish long-term, systematised mechanisms for advancing internal use and external sharing of data. They mandate the development of national three-year master plans, guide agency-level implementation, and embed data-related responsibilities across government institutions. These efforts are complemented by strategic initiatives such as the National MyData Innovation Promotion Strategy, which promotes safe, cross-sector data portability and public-private collaboration.

Importantly, Korea has a multi-layered governance structure that ensures consistent implementation of data policies. Under the Open Data Strategy Council – supported by MOIS – Korea co-ordinates cross-government action, resolves disputes, and oversees progress. These bodies include external experts and enable inclusive, evidence-informed decision-making. The requirement to submit annual implementation plans reinforces accountability and creates opportunities to monitor and improve performance.

Nevertheless, the implementation of Korea’s data strategy faces several challenges. Despite widespread recognition of the value of data among public officials, and significant investment in training programmes, nearly half of surveyed public institutions report insufficient skills or financial resources to fully operationalise data policies. While Korea has made progress in developing frameworks such as the Digital Civil Servant Competency Framework and the Guideline for Building Data Capability, efforts to embed data-informed decision-making at all levels of government continue. Strengthening hands-on skills, especially around data sharing, legal compliance, and privacy-enhancing technologies, remains an important step to realise the potential of Korea’s data-governance ecosystem.

While legal and regulatory enablers are well developed, legacy provisions continue to impede seamless data exchange and integrated service delivery. For example, requirements for physical documents or handwritten signatures in outdated laws introduce friction to otherwise digital workflows. While reforms aim to remove these bottlenecks – including changes to the Seal Certificate Law and planned amendments enabling electronic verification of bank account information – faster legislative updates are needed to unlock more value from sharing data across the public sector.

At the infrastructure and architecture level, Korea invested heavily in an enabling environment for a data-driven public sector. Cloud-native strategies such as the Government-Wide Cloud (G-Cloud), the Public Information Sharing System, and a base registry framework contribute to secure and scalable data flows across agencies. However, a more structured approach to data discoverability – such as creating and sharing comprehensive internal data catalogue of all data assets – could help address one key barrier reported by public institutions: lack of awareness of what datasets exist and how they can be accessed or reused. Better visibility of data assets would strengthen the use of data for policy and service delivery.

Government data access and sharing in practice

Korea has a robust and multi-faceted approach to data access and sharing in the public sector, anchored in a legal mandate and supported by purpose-built infrastructure. The Electronic Government Act provides the framework for internal data sharing, requiring public institutions to exchange administrative data unless justified otherwise. This is operationalised through the Public Information Sharing System managed by MOIS, which facilitates secure, efficient, and rules-based data flows between agencies. These arrangements are central to Korea’s implementation of the ‘once-only’ principle to reduce administrative burden by ensuring that data collected by one government agency can be reused by others.

Korea’s internal data-sharing ecosystem is strengthened by widespread access to base registries and use of organisational data. Public institutions report high levels of data reuse, with the majority relying on data from their own operations, administrative registries, or peer organisations within the same policy area. However, the use of external or cross-sector data often remains constrained by regulatory complexity, siloed governance structures, and technical interoperability challenges.

The MyData initiative is an innovation in Korea’s data sharing landscape that empowers individuals to control the use and portability of their personal data. Originally introduced in the public sector, then expanded to finance and other domains, MyData allows individuals to authorise the transfer of personal data such as family records or taxation certificates between government agencies and essential-service providers beyond the public sector. This is enabled through application programming interfaces (APIs) and supported by the amended Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), which establishes the legal basis for cross-sector implementation.

Practical barriers to seamless data sharing persist despite these advances. While regulatory reforms strengthened data protection safeguards, particularly for sensitive data, they also introduced new challenges. Stricter rules for the use of the Resident Registration Number (RRN) and enhanced requirements for anonymisation or pseudonymisation make it more difficult for public institutions to combine datasets for policy or service-design purposes. While these changes are well intentioned and reflect global best practices, they underscore the urgent need for practical guidance, legal clarity, and capacity-building around privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) and responsible data integration.

Korea also performs strongly in making public-sector data available to the broader ecosystem. Open data plays a central role in this strategy, supported by dedicated initiatives such as the National Priority Data Releasing Project. As a result, Korea makes 81% of its high-value datasets available – well above the OECD average – available as open data and especially for those datasets on public finances, geospatial information, education, and the environment. These datasets directly support the development of hundreds of mobile applications, private services, and civic technology tools.

Where open access is not feasible, Korea has clear procedures for controlled data sharing with external actors. Under the Electronic Government Act, public institutions can request data from private organisations or individuals through formal agreements. Once acquired, the data may only be used for the agreed purpose and must be securely destroyed afterwards. These safeguards are supported by strong institutional oversight and operational protocols to prevent unauthorised access, ensure legal compliance, and maintain public trust.

Using data to unlock value for citizens and businesses

Korea is embedding data use across public sector institutions, particularly to support evidence-based policy-making. All 13 institutions surveyed for this review reported using data for policy-making purposes, reflecting widespread recognition of the strategic value of data. However, the use of data to inform public service design or understand citizen needs remains less common, with fewer than half of institutions reporting activity in these areas. Similarly, data for predictive analytics and forecasting is underused.

This uneven picture is also reflected in the public-service improvements pursued using data. While data is used widely to enhance service delivery, fewer institutions apply it to increase efficiency or support crisis-response and public engagement. A notable exception is the Public Disaster and Safety Portal run by MOIS, which enables real-time access and analysis of disaster-related data and supports the development of predictive models for risk-management.

Monitoring and evaluation represent other areas where data is not yet used to its potential. Most institutions use data to track operational performance, but only a minority use it to evaluate policy outcomes or demonstrate return on investment. No institution in the survey reported using data to support accountability via audit trails. This highlights a gap in outcome-oriented data use and suggests the need for clearer focus on results-based management and transparency mechanisms.

Many of the perceived barriers to using data relate to practical and operational issues rather than legal or strategic constraints. The most frequently cited challenge is a lack of information about available datasets, followed by procedural hurdles to access, and issues with data interoperability and standardisation. In contrast, few institutions report legal frameworks or data governance as primary obstacles. While Korea’s enabling environment is considered broadly fit for purpose, this suggests that more needs to be done to support data discoverability and reduce friction in data access across government.

Data and trust

Korea’s commitment to strengthening trust in how data is managed and used by the public sector is evident in recent institutional and legislative reforms. As the use of personal data becomes more embedded in government operations and service delivery, fostering public confidence in that use is essential. In Korea, 43% of the population believe that public agencies would use their personal data for legitimate purposes. These trust levels represent both a challenge and a strategic opportunity for government to build confidence through transparent, ethical, and secure data practices.

In recent years, Korea introduced meaningful reforms to its data protection regime. Amendments to PIPA and stricter rules for the use of the national identification number reflect an intent to enhance alignment with international standards and to safeguard individual rights. Notable changes include stronger conditions for cross-government data matching, expanded requirements for anonymisation and pseudonymisation, and the reinforcement of individual rights such as data portability. These changes are underpinned by the growing authority and oversight capacity of the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), which plays a central role in ensuring compliance. Fact-finding interviews indicated that these reforms have created a need for greater support to public sector organisations in developing data access and sharing practices that are compliant with regulations.

Korea’s approach to digital security in the public sector is similarly advanced. The 2024 National Cybersecurity Strategy focuses on building technical capabilities, improving inter-agency co-ordination, and reinforcing critical infrastructure. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) plays a central role in managing public-sector cybersecurity, including co-ordinating Cyber Security Centers and overseeing a well-structured framework of national guidelines and legal instruments. This strategic clarity strengthens Korea’s ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity threats.

These efforts are reinforced by Korea’s performance in government transparency, particularly in open government data. The wide availability of public-sector data improves access to information and supports accountability. However, room for improvement remains in areas such as the transparency of algorithmic systems used in the public sector. While AI and machine learning are increasingly used to support public decision-making, there is limited information about how these systems function, the datasets they train on, or the safeguards in place to ensure fairness, accuracy and accountability.

 

Proposals for action In view of the assessment elaborated above, which draws on the findings and analysis in Chapter 4 of this review, the Korean government could consider the following policy recommendations and actions.
6. To improve data governance in the public sector: a. Strengthen the capacity to implement the data strategy by ensuring public institutions have the people and funding needed, and by providing extra support to those with limited resources. b. Build data skills by continuing the rollout of the Digital Civil Servant Competency Framework, focusing on data sharing, legal compliance and privacy-enhancing technologies. c. Modernise laws and regulations by reviewing those that require physical documents or signatures, and speeding up reforms that enable paperless, automated data access and sharing. d. Improve data discoverability by encouraging public sector organisations to create, maintain and share internal catalogues that list all their data assets, not just those available as open data.
7. To strengthen the approach to data access, sharing and use in government: a. Develop and share practical guidelines to help institutions meet changing data-protection requirements, focusing on lawful dataset combination and risk-based data integration. b. Build capacity for the use of privacy-enhancing technologies (such as anonymisation and pseudonymisation) through training, guidance and pilot projects. c. Promote consistent metadata standards and shared practices across public institutions to improve the usability and discoverability of internal data assets. d. Expand cross-sector interoperability frameworks by building on MyData to develop governance models and technical standards that enable secure, privacy-compliant data sharing between the public sector and other essential service providers, when there is a public interest.
8. To accelerate the use of data in the public sector that brings value to citizens and businesses: a. Encourage public institutions to further embed data use and analysis into service-lifecycle management, including user-research, design iteration, and feedback to improve citizen experience. b. Promote the use of data to evaluate policy outcomes and service impact beyond operational performance.
9. To increase public trust in the management and use of data by the public sector: a. Maintain a record and publish information about the use of algorithmic systems in the public sector, including datasets used, decision-making logic, and safeguards to ensure fairness and accountability. b. Foster public dialogue on data rights and digital services by engaging citizens through awareness campaigns and participatory processes to build understanding of and trust in how their data is used in public services.

Leveraging AI for government transformation

Artificial Intelligence is one of the most transformative forces of the 21st century, integral to digital government worldwide. AI use in the public sector can enhance the efficiency of internal operations, the effectiveness of policy-making, the responsiveness of public services, and the transparency and accountability of government. However, governments face unique contexts and challenges that can hinder the uptake of AI, including skills shortages, risk aversion, legacy systems, data availability, and difficulty measuring and prioritising investments in AI within a fiscally constrained environment.

Use of AI in Government

Korea’s public sector institutions increasingly explore the potential of AI to improve policy development, service delivery, and internal operations. Among the 13 institutions surveyed for this review, eight reported using AI to enhance internal processes and the same number indicated applications in public service delivery and policy-making.

Several initiatives demonstrate how Korea applies AI to increase the productivity of public servants and improve operational efficiency and effectiveness. A prominent example is the AI Support System for Work Supervisors, which combines generative AI, predictive analytics, and interaction-support tools to assist labour inspectors. The system analyses statements from employers and employees in labour complaints, summarising issues to support decision-making. This both enhances the productivity and accountability of supervisors and strengthens the enforcement of labour laws, improving protection for vulnerable workers. Another initiative is an AI-based patent examination-support system, developed to manage growing volumes of patent applications. This tool uses a large language model (LLM)-based generative AI system to support patent examiners with legal guidance, identification of grounds for acceptance or rejection, and searches of prior material. It includes an interactive chatbot and process-tracking capabilities, enabling higher-quality, more efficient examinations.

Korea also leverages AI to design more proactive and inclusive services and policies. The AI-driven Flood Safety Network developed jointly by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) applies AI to analyse real-time data from over 670 monitoring stations for flood prediction. It integrates with navigation apps to issue alerts to drivers in flood-prone areas and expanded its reach to 223 locations, including urban areas such as Gwangju, Pohang, and Changwon. The system uses long short-term memory models to improve predictive accuracy and was awarded Korea’s Best Government Innovation award in 2024.

Korea also invests in AI-driven policy-intelligence tools. One example is an AI-based system that supports policymakers to formulate and validate fiscal and social policies using large-scale socioeconomic data. This tool, developed in collaboration with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), incorporates machine learning, data visualisation, and virtual simulation to model social and economic interactions using multi-agent-based modelling (MABM). The platform has international recognition, including the adoption of its data-management interface as a global standard.

At the intersection of public-service and regulatory design and delivery, Korea introduced a Generative AI Co-Pilot Service to enhance access to legal and administrative information, particularly in complex areas such as architectural regulations and military construction. The LLM-based tool includes AI modules for handling permits and approvals, providing regulatory guidance, and addressing public complaints.

Although AI is not yet used widely in Korea’s public sector for audit, fraud detection, or impact evaluation, promising use cases are emerging. The e-RFP Assistance System, developed as part of a KRW 1.7 billion digital transformation initiative, applies natural language processing, generative AI, and machine learning diagnostics to streamline public procurement. The system analyses large volumes of procurement data, reducing document preparation time by 70% while achieving 99.9% accuracy in regulatory compliance. It also contributes to identifying anomalies and potential risks in procurement processes, demonstrating AI’s potential to strengthen administrative accountability.

Enablers of trustworthy AI in government

Korea established a strong foundation of enablers to support the strategic and trustworthy use of AI in government. These include clear institutional responsibilities for public sector AI, sustained investments in digital infrastructure and data, emerging legal and regulatory instruments, and growing efforts to build AI-ready skills and procurement mechanisms across government. Together, they reflect Korea’s ambition to position the public sector as both a testbed and beneficiary of advanced AI capabilities. However, while Korea’s enabling environment for trustworthy AI in government is among the most advanced across OECD countries, continued effort is needed to translate this progress into consistent and trustworthy adoption of AI across all levels of government.

At the policy and governance level, Korea benefits from a broad institutional ecosystem supporting AI use in government, with significant contributions through bodies like the Ministry of Interior and Safety (MOIS), MSIT, and PIPC. The main policy instrument for AI in government in Korea is the National AI Strategy Policy Direction, released in 2024. Its goal is to position Korea among the world’s top-three AI leaders. In June 2025, the new government designated AI as the top national priority and adopted the country’s first AI Future Planning Chief in the Presidential Office. The government also announced a new economic growth strategy that set a target of 3% potential growth by applying AI across all sectors. Korea’s AI policies recognise the public sector’s dual role as innovator and end-user, signalling political commitment. However, co-ordination across the institutions involved remains complex and would benefit from clearer delineation of mandates and stronger mechanisms for cross-agency alignment, particularly to ensure coherent guidance and avoid duplication.

Investment in digital infrastructure for public sector AI adoption is accelerating, including in shared data-centres and national AI computing capacity (“compute”) that support the training and deployment of large-scale AI systems and models. Yet, as AI adoption expands, ensuring equitable access to infrastructure across levels of government and public institutions – especially smaller, local governments – remains an important area for improvement. Similarly, while Korea’s cloud strategies promote flexibility and scalability, ensuring that cloud adoption aligns with AI-development needs across the public sector could require further guidance and technical support.

Data governance and readiness is a clear strength, supported by initiatives like the Korean AI Hub, national quality standards for training data, and improved data interoperability tools. Korea’s proactive development of guidance on personal-data use in AI model training is noteworthy. PIPC’s principles-based approach addresses critical gaps and sets a forward-looking standard to balance innovation with privacy. Nevertheless, continued attention should ensure that public institutions have the capacity and confidence to implement these guidelines, especially in relation to high-risk or emerging use cases such as generative AI and synthetic data.

Efforts to build AI capabilities in the public sector are advancing, including through training programmes, guidance materials, and support for researchers. The publication of practical resources such as the civil servants’ guide to ChatGPT shows a commitment to responsible use. However, like in many countries, public institutions face challenges in attracting and retaining AI talent due to competition with the private sector. Targeted strategies and concrete actions to strengthen internal capabilities and reduce dependency on external providers will be critical to sustaining in-house expertise.

Finally, Korea’s funding and procurement mechanisms support agile and strategic AI investment. Platforms like the Digital Service Marketplace and the Participatory Budgeting system channel resources toward high-impact projects. AI-specific procurement guidance could further support risk-assessment, promote ethical standards, and ensure explainability and accountability throughout the AI lifecycle.

Guardrails and engagement for trustworthy AI in government

Korea has robust policy, institutional and normative frameworks to support trustworthy use of AI in government. This includes a growing set of guidelines, legal instruments, oversight bodies, and cross-sector co-ordination mechanisms to manage AI-related risks while enabling innovation.

The country’s commitment to trustworthy AI development, in the public sector and beyond, is reflected in its early adoption of high-level normative frameworks such as the National AI Ethics Standards (2020), and its subsequent AI Ethics Guidebook for Generative AI (2023). These both articulate and help implement principles such as human dignity, public interest, and ethical purposefulness, and are key in shaping Korea’s evolving approach to public sector AI governance. Korea’s AI guardrails allow for a flexible framework that fosters sector-specific adaptation and multi-stakeholder dialogue. While this supports agility, it might present challenges to achieving consistent implementation across diverse institutions and levels of government.

From a risk-management perspective, Korea has a comprehensive oversight landscape, including institutions such as the NIS, Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), and the newly formed AI Safety Institute (AISI). The NIS has taken on a particularly active role, publishing tailored guidelines for generative AI tools and initiating a multi-year survey to monitor AI-related projects across government. These efforts reflect growing recognition of the strategic and security dimensions of AI, particularly regarding data protection, model provenance, and systemic risks posed by large-scale foreign AI systems. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives will depend on the ability to translate insights into updated, enforceable guidance and to support capacity-building across all levels of the public sector. Korea’s Basic AI Act (2025) is expected to help close some of these gaps.

The adoption of the Act marks a significant step toward embedding legally binding safeguards into Korea’s public sector AI ecosystem. With risk-based classification and provisions for transparency, human oversight, and impact assessments, the Act aligns with emerging international best practices and creates a legal foundation for future implementation. The provisions targeting high-compute systems and generative AI systems are particularly timely. As the law has not yet taken effect (scheduled for 2026), much will depend on how regulatory authorities operationalise its requirements and support public sector institutions translating legal obligations into practical action.

Korea also made important strides building technical and institutional tools. Tools such as the AI Ethics Impact Assessment Framework developed by the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI), technology impact evaluations by the Korea Institute of Science & Technology Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP), and measures in the Digital Order Implementation Plan, including mandatory watermarking of AI-generated content, promise to anticipate and address ethical, societal, and security risks. Complementing the investment reviews undertaken earlier in the project lifecycle (discussed in Chapter 3), the efforts toward continuous and ex-post monitoring and evaluation, foresight research and standards development will be important as use cases evolve.

Despite these advances, a notable gap remains in AI transparency and accountability at the system level. Unlike several OECD countries, Korea lacks a comprehensive, publicly accessible registry of AI systems and algorithms used in the public sector. While the AI Hub offers a valuable repository of use cases, it is not mandatory for agencies to report or regularly update their AI deployments. This limits public oversight and hinders efforts to identify systemic risks, promote learning across institutions, and build citizen trust in government AI. The international trend toward mandatory public algorithm inventories, such as in Chile, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, suggests an opportunity for Korea to enhance openness and accountability in AI use.

Korea’s multi-stakeholder approach to AI governance is a clear strength. Cross-government co-ordination, inter-agency strategy development, and engagement through platforms like the AI Strategy Summits and the AI Legal and Regulatory Reform Task Force ensure that policies reflect diverse expertise and public-interest concerns. These forums support inclusive dialogue by involving stakeholders from academia, civil society, and industry, including SMEs and startups. Sustaining and institutionalising these channels will maintain legitimacy and responsiveness in a fast-evolving technological and regulatory landscape. In addition, as discussed in the following chapter, broader engagement with internal and external users at all stages of the design and development of AI systems would help ensure that they are fit-for-purpose and build trust with those that will need to use them.

 

Proposals for action In view of the assessment elaborated above, which draws on the findings and analysis in Chapter 5 of this review, the Korean government could consider the following policy recommendations and actions.
10. To advance the use of AI in government: a. Encourage application of AI in core government functions such as promoting public integrity (e.g. audit and oversight)— by identifying priority use cases, and providing pilot funding and targeted technical support. b. Promote systematic assessment of AI initiatives before, during, and after deployment by developing standardised frameworks to measure public value, inclusiveness, and performance, helping inform investment and scale-up decisions. c. Establish mechanisms to test, evaluate, and replicate high-performing AI tools across government, focusing on applications with demonstrable public-interest benefits.
11. To create the enablers for trustworthy AI in government: a. Enhance co-ordination across agencies and levels of government by clarifying roles, responsibilities, and lines of accountability for AI governance supported by a central mechanism to align strategies, guidance, and investments. b. Develop shared service models and funding mechanisms to support access to AI compute, data, and cloud infrastructure for local and smaller-scale public institutions, promoting inclusive digital transformation. c. Invest in public sector AI talent pipelines and expand AI-specific procurement guidance to reinforce ethical safeguards, risk assessment, and lifecycle accountability across projects and suppliers.
12. To secure guardrails and engagement for trustworthy AI in government: a. Develop practical tools, training, and oversight mechanisms to help public institutions comply with the requirements of the Basic AI Act and other level and normative frameworks, especially for high-risk AI applications. b. Create a mandatory, regularly updated public inventory of AI systems used in the public sector to support risk monitoring, public trust, and knowledge sharing, building on international good practices. c. Formalise ongoing engagement mechanisms that include civil society, academia, and private sector actors and the general public - ensuring broad-based input into AI governance and responsiveness to emerging societal concerns.

Delivering human-centred and proactive public services

The OECD’s Recommendation of the Council on Human-centred Public Administrative Services guides countries on how to put people’s needs at the centre of policy design and delivery. Complementing the last two pillars of the framework – Seamless and accessible services; and Measurement, engagement, improvement – the OECD’s Good Practice Principles for Public Service Design and Delivery in the Digital Age have been used as a policy tool to understand Korea’s approach to delivering human-centred and proactive public services, as well as its progress towards the effective implementation of the pillars of the recommendation.

Korea demonstrated strong commitment to delivering human-centred, ethical, and inclusive digital public services in line with the OECD’s Recommendation on Human-centred Public Administrative Services. Its approach is guided by robust legislative and governance frameworks, such as the Electronic Government Act, and strategic policies like the 2nd Master Plan for Electronic Government. These underpin an omni-channel service delivery model and the implementation of the ‘once-only’ principle, enabling seamless data sharing and reducing administrative burdens on citizens. The government ensures consistency through mandated service design standards and user-centred user-interface (UI) and user-experience (UX), including the Korea-wide UI/UX Design System. Participatory initiatives, such as the Citizen Participatory Design Group, embed user voices throughout the policy and service lifecycle. However, while early engagement is strong, interviews highlighted that there is less direct user involvement during the design and build phases, with limited usability testing or co-design practices. Addressing these gaps and improving service performance monitoring would further strengthen Korea’s digital service delivery and ensure that services are intuitive, accessible, and meet the evolving needs of all users.

Similarly, Korea is making progress in delivering public services with impact, scale, and speed by advancing digital infrastructure, streamlining service design, and integrating private sector channels. A cornerstone of this transformation is the DPG initiative, which consolidates over 1,500 public services into a single digital platform. This platform personalises service delivery based on user profiles and enables seamless access through government and popular private platforms like Naver and Kakao. Korea also implemented a nationally mandated project management methodology and user engagement standards to ensure consistency, transparency, and quality across agencies. Digital identity is strengthened through secure, portable solutions, aligning with OECD recommendations to enable more secure and integrated access to public services. While national efforts are robust, integration challenges remain at the local level where service delivery varies. Collaboration with sub-national entities and continued infrastructure upgrades, including secure, government-run data centres, are essential to unified, citizen-centric digital government.

Finally, Korea has accountability and transparency embedded at the core of its digital service delivery, reinforcing public trust through governance, ethical standards, and citizen protections. The Government24 platform acts as a central access point for all public services, facilitating transparency, ethical data use, and a lifecycle-based service approach. Its operation is mandated under the Electronic Government Act and supported by systems like the Integrated Information Disclosure System and the Information Resource Management System, which promote efficiency, interoperability, and secure data handling. Informed consent practices further enhance trust, with users actively agreeing to the use of personal data for service delivery. Performance reporting is another key mechanism, including regular surveys and the publication of digital project outcomes. Korea champions ethical governance through the Digital Bill of Rights and AI standards, establishing global norms for digital rights and responsibilities. Moving forward, more flexible budget allocations would accelerate digital transformation of the Korean public sector, particularly for the digital platforms and use of AI systems that would continue to transform the way Korea’ delivers public services.

 

Proposals for action In view of the assessment elaborated above, which draws on the findings and analysis in Chapter 6 of this review, the Korean government could consider the following policy recommendations and actions.
13. To strengthen the design and delivery of user-centred services: a. Embed user participation throughout the service design lifecycle, implementing structured co-design practices and usability testing to ensure digital services are intuitive, inclusive, and meet the needs of all users. b. Expand real-time performance tracking and public reporting mechanisms, including user-satisfaction metrics and open service dashboards, to drive continuous improvement and foster greater accountability.
14. To expand the provision of proactive and seamless services: a. Maintain and scale investments in shared digital infrastructure such as secure data centres and interoperable digital platforms, including digital identity, to enable seamless, consistent, and secure digital service delivery across government entities. b. Introduce more flexible budget structures to allow rapid experimentation and innovation, particularly in adopting new technologies like AI, while ensuring sustainable funding for critical digital infrastructure. c. Strengthen collaboration with local governments by providing targeted technical support, capacity-building, and resources to integrate national digital platforms and ensure consistency in service delivery across levels.