‘The most humane is the most advanced': Innovate Korea 2025 reimagines AI through a human lens
From biotech to K-pop, leaders across industries explore how AI can amplify human potential
From Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung-jin to K-pop star G-Dragon, "Squid Game" star actor Lee Jung-jae and Go legend Lee Se-dol — Innovate Korea 2025 on Wednesday brought together leaders from across industries, connecting them over a single theme: humanity in the age of artificial intelligence.
The 4 1/2 hour event unfolded into a festivity of technology and the arts — a stage where innovation itself became a celebration of humanity and connection.
Jointly hosted by Herald Media Group, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and the National Research Council of Science & Technology, the event drew around 10,000 participants to KAIST's Lyu Keun-chul Sports Complex in Daejeon.
Herald Media Group CEO Choi Jin-young delivered the opening remarks, followed by congratulatory speeches from First Vice Minister of Science and ICT Lee Chang-yune and KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung.
Opening the event was a keynote speech from biopharm giant Celltrion founder and Chairman Seo Jung-jin, who spoke about achieving success against the odds. He reflected on his own story of starting the company from scratch 25 years ago, with just 50 million won ($34,500) and five employees, and building it into Korea's largest biopharmaceutical powerhouse.
'You need to be desperate enough to push yourself to the edge of cliff — and whatever it is you do, you have to enjoy it,' Seo told the crowd. 'When someone throws themselves into their work like crazy, the whole world will come looking for them.'
Breaking from his prepared remarks, Seo fielded questions from students, where one asked how he had persuaded others of his vision in biopharm without a medical background. Seo's answer was blunt: study relentlessly.
"There's more than enough information out there for you to study. If there's something you want to do, just dive in and dig as hard as you can," he said. "If you don't do anything, nothing happens.'
Impressed by the student's boldness, Seo handed him his business card — a rare gesture from the self-made billionaire — and pulled him into a quick hug, drawing cheers.
The next stage turned the spotlight on culture, with "Squid Game" star and director Lee Jung-jae joining a discussion on the future of Korean content in a technology-saturated world.
Lee, also an entrepreneur as chairman of the talent agency Artist Company, argued that Korea's creative strength was forged in an era of scarcity, when technology was underdeveloped, and capital was lacking — yet not imagination.
'Back then, we didn't have enough resources, so we focused on the story itself and the values we wanted to convey,' he said. 'That grit and determination to overcome limits brought us to where we are today.'
The challenge now, he said, isn't access to technology — it's using it without losing sight of human emotion.
'Technology is just a tool,' he said. 'What matters is how we merge it with story.'
One of the day's most unexpected highlights came from robots, which took center stage between sessions to show off their latest moves. KAIST's robotics club staged a playful reenactment of Squid Game's infamous 'Red Light, Green Light' scene — complete with robots — with Lee gamely joining in to the crowd's delight, briefly bringing the Netflix hit to life on stage.
But the day's most powerful moment lighted up when scientist Kim Seung-hwan, who has paraparesis, rose from his wheelchair with the help of the 'WalkOn Suit F1,' a wearable robot co-developed by Angel Robotics and KAIST. The house, which had held its breath while he made several attempts to stand, erupted in applause at his eventual success — a moving testament to the event's theme of technology and human resilience.
Kim's performance was a fitting scene for the following talk concert, which was devoted to the idea that extraordinary breakthroughs often emerge from failures.
'Even as a robot-maker, I'm overwhelmed by the speed of AI,' Angel Robotics CEO Kong Kyoung-Chul said, acknowledging the paradox of working at the cutting edge of robotics while worrying about its implications.
'But ironically, the key to surviving in this world lies with humans. We need to come together, harness AI as a tool, and achieve shared goals — not by outpacing machines, but by outthinking them.'
Joining the conversation, retired Go master Lee Se-dol — whose landmark 2016 match against Google's AlphaGo marked both the first triumph and the first defeat for humanity against AI — reflected on the personal toll of that moment.
'People say I retired, but honestly, I ran away,' Lee said. AI had irrevocably changed the ancient game, leaving him little choice but to walk away.
'Go used to be about discovering new paths through trial and error,' he said. 'But after AlphaGo, that world collapsed.'
Yet for Lee, the game didn't end — it simply moved beyond the board. Earlier this year, he joined Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology as a professor of engineering and AI, turning what he once saw as failure into his next move.
That spirit of creative reinvention — shaping one's path not through victory or defeat, but through resilience and imagination — is, to Lee, the enduring essence of Go itself, even in an age of technology.
'For me, it wasn't winning that mattered for me in playing Go,' he said. 'It was about creating something together with your opponent — learning through mistakes, building a masterpiece together. It's hard. I failed. But I still believe there's meaning in holding on to that value.'
Adding bursts of color and energy between the day's conversations were performances that briefly turned the forum into a K-pop showcase. The first to take the stage was KAIST's student dance crew Lunatic, whose high-energy routine brought a flash of youthful sparkle.
They were followed by a star-studded lineup of K-pop artists. Drenched in shimmer and swagger, Chungha lit up the stage with electrifying dance hits like 'Stress' and 'Gotta Go.' Singer-rapper Bibi had the crowd swaying in unison with a singalong to her viral hit 'Bam Yang Gang.' And Sunmi, answering the crowd's thunderous cheers, closed her set with an impromptu encore.
The day's finale flourished with the appearance of G-Dragon — or, as he was introduced on stage, professor Kwon Ji-yong.
It was his first public appearance under the new title since his appointment by KAIST as a visiting professor during Innovate Korea 2024, as part of the school's push into 'enter-tech,' an emerging field exploring the intersection of entertainment and AI.
For the 36-year-old, who had spent almost his entire life in music, teaching offered up a new creative frontier.
'I've felt a sense of pressure and responsibility since last year. I wanted to be the first to experiment with new ideas — and share that journey with the public," he said.
Long known as an all-round creator involved in every part of his work, Kwon said technology, especially AI, has become an essential tool expanding the boundaries of his creativity, both on and off the stage.
"I now think of myself as a medium that connects new technology with the public through art — creating content that makes innovation more approachable and fun. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be part of that journey," said Kwon.
To the next generation of scientists and creators, Kwon's advice was simple: stay curious.
'I look for questions, not answers,' he said. 'It's more like exploring than studying — chasing whatever sparks your curiosity or just makes you happy. And if you keep imagining — I can tell you this from experience — there comes a moment when that imagination becomes real. Keep expanding your imagination.'
Among the projects unveiled Wednesday was a space-bound music transmission, a milestone born of Kwon's collaboration with KAIST. Following the forum, his latest hit "Home Sweet Home" — a remake of his group Big Bang's 2009 original — was beamed into space via an antenna aboard a next-generation satellite launched on Korea's Nuri rocket. It marked the first time a Korean artist's song had been transmitted from Earth into space using a ground-based satellite antenna.
'Personally, it feels like I'm sending the song back to where it belongs,' the musician said. 'It's a song filled with nostalgia for me, which makes this moment even more special. It still feels very surreal. I hope it finds its home safely.'
He also premiered an AI-generated music video for the song during the session, created using OpenAI's text-to-video platform, Sora.
Now in its ninth year, Innovate Korea has grown into one of the nation's largest annual technology and science forums, bringing together enthusiasts from all walks of life — from scholars and scientists to entrepreneurs, government officials and students.
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2 hours ago
- Korea Herald
[Yoo Choon-sik] President Lee should look beyond market cheers
The South Korean stock market soared on each of the first two trading days following President Lee Jae-myung's official inauguration after securing a decisive victory in the early election held on June 3, winning by a substantial margin over his opponents. The peaceful transition of power and the political clarity it brings have been met with visible enthusiasm. Undoubtedly, Lee and his party, together with the people of South Korea, have every reason to relish the celebratory honeymoon phase of their administration. The stock market's benchmark Kospi posted a remarkable combined gain of 4.2 percent over those two days to end at 2,812.05 points on Friday, representing the highest closing level in nearly a year since July 18 last year. During the same period, foreign investors made net purchases totaling 2.07 trillion won ($1.52 billion) on the main board, marking the most net inflow from overseas investors in a year. This sharp uptick in buying activity reflected renewed confidence in the Korean market under the new leadership. The rise in stock prices is widely interpreted as a reflection of relief across the investor community, stemming from the peaceful resolution of the monthslong political impasse, triggered by the former president's controversial declaration of martial law last December. With stability now restored, there is cautious hope that Lee's administration will introduce pragmatic, market-friendly reforms. Contributing to the rally are also favorable external factors: a persistent weakening of the US dollar against major global currencies and the announcement that the US and China intend to resume trade negotiations —developments that typically benefit emerging markets like South Korea. Historically, traditional markets served as informal forums where policymakers could gather sentiment from the people, as citizens exchanged views and insights while trading goods. In our current era, financial markets serve a parallel — yet far more complex and consequential — role. They function as barometers of public and investor sentiment, allowing market participants around the globe to continuously evaluate a nation's economic performance, policy direction and future outlook. From that perspective, the recent rally in the stock market, alongside the strengthening of the Korean won, can be read as a strong initial endorsement of the promises and rhetoric offered by President Lee during the campaign. His campaign period, however, was notably brief, offering limited time for his team to flesh out fully detailed policy plans. Nonetheless, the messaging struck a chord, especially among investors and market observers eager for reform and modernization. One of Lee's key campaign priorities is addressing the "Korea Discount" — a persistent and well-documented phenomenon that refers to the comparatively low valuation of Korean-listed companies relative to their international peers. It is largely attributed to weaknesses in corporate governance, low shareholder returns and systemic inefficiencies in South Korea's regulatory and economic framework. To address this issue, Lee has pledged to revise Article 382-3 of the Commercial Act. The proposed amendment would obligate directors of listed companies to act not just in good faith but specifically in the interest of both the company and all its shareholders. The current version of the act requires directors to act for the benefit of the company, but lacks explicit emphasis on shareholder interests. Lee has also vowed to introduce the cumulative voting system. Many view this as a powerful tool for enhancing minority shareholder rights, as it allows shareholders to pool votes to elect at least one representative to a board, in contrast to the traditional system of one vote per share per director. Deliberative policymaking In addition, he supports other measures aimed at prompting companies to return a greater portion of earnings to shareholders and limiting the negative effects of corporate spinoffs that often disadvantage minority investors. While these governance-focused reforms are grabbing headlines, Lee has also promised fiscal stimulus on a massive scale. Though not explicitly intended to push stock prices higher, a major supplementary budget is expected to provide a strong economic stimulus to offset faltering domestic demand. This comes at a time when South Korea, an export-driven economy, is grappling with declining overseas sales due mainly to the US government's imposition of steep tariffs on most of its trading partners. 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The market lift resulting from policy announcements and fiscal measures may not be sustainable unless underpinned by genuine improvements in economic fundamentals. Corporate earnings, gross domestic product growth and export competitiveness — particularly in light of evolving global trade dynamics and tariff uncertainties — remain the true drivers of long-term performance. Furthermore, the risk of unintended consequences looms large. Even the best-intentioned policy can yield adverse results. Business leaders and major corporations have already voiced concerns that overly aggressive changes to the Commercial Act might deter boards from making bold, strategic investments, out of fear of legal entanglements or shareholder activism. Similarly, the large supplementary budget, if not crafted with precision and expertise, risks missing its mark. Without broad consultation and careful planning, the spending could end up inefficiently allocated, raising government debt while failing to generate meaningful economic uplift. That would not only disappoint voters but also strain public finances further. These concerns are especially pertinent in today's political landscape, where the Democratic Party of Korea holds a commanding majority across both the executive and legislative branches. This political dominance could enable the administration to push forward its agenda swiftly, but also tempt it to bypass the kind of open, deliberative policymaking that democracy requires. President Lee must remain aware that while voters handed him a clear mandate, they did not grant him unchecked authority. The people expect reform, yes — but they also expect balance, consultation and accountability. As the proposed revision of the Commercial Act implicitly acknowledges, those in power have a duty to act not just in their party's interest, but in the collective interest of the entire nation. Yoo Choon-sik worked for nearly 30 years at Reuters, including as the chief Korea economics correspondent, and briefly worked as a business strategy consultant. The views expressed here are the writer's own. — Ed.
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Why won likely to stall above 1,300
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Korea Herald
15 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Seoul uncorks brewery tours, liquor-making classes for foreigners
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