
Actng president calls for future education based on trust, cooperation in AI era
Lee, the education minister, made the remarks as he attended the ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, a preparatory session taking place ahead of the APEC summit to be hosted by South Korea's city of Gyeongju later this year.
"South Korea is a country that has achieved both economic growth and social development through the power of education," Lee said in the opening remarks at the plenary session of the 7th APEC education ministers' meeting on Jeju Island.
"The advancement of digital technologies and the emergence of AI represent a civilizational shift," he said. "Based on trust and cooperation, we will prepare for the future and create a new vision."
The education ministers' meeting kicked off Tuesday for a three-day run. It will be followed by a series of other high-level sessions, including the trade ministers' talks set for Thursday and Friday. (Yonhap)
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Korea Herald
7 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee proposes wartime OPCON transfer by 2030
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South Korea has not held wartime operational control of its troops since the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, when the authority was relinquished to the United Nations Command. It was later transferred to the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command, which remains under the leadership of a US four-star general. In 1994, under the liberal Kim Young-sam administration, South Korea regained peacetime operational control. However, wartime command authority continues to reside with the US under the current Combined Forces Command structure. With President Lee expected to hold his first summit with US President Donald Trump later this month in Washington, the OPCON issue is likely to resurface as a key agenda item. Broader alliance matters, including the level of the US troop presence in South Korea and defense cost-sharing, are also expected to be discussed. Lee, who attended the committee's briefing session, stressed that the committee's overall five-year plan should not be seen as finalized government policy, but as a set of recommendations. "These are not a confirmed plan," Lee said. "It is a set of proposals outlining the desirable direction of state affairs. We will take them into account, and they may be revised through the process of consultation and coordination." He added that the government would "thoroughly and swiftly review" the committee's proposals and implement "as much as possible within feasible bounds." Caution remains within the military. Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command, reiterated last week that the transition must proceed under the agreed conditions. "If we choose to take shortcuts, that could endanger the readiness of the force here on the peninsula," Brunson said during a press conference at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. "The hope is — the hope has always been — that OPCON transfer would happen at some point in the future when the conditions are met." In addition to OPCON, the administration plans to upgrade South Korea's three-axis defense system, which was developed in response to growing threats from North Korea. The system consists of the Kill Chain preemptive strike platform, the Korea Air and Missile Defense system and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation strategy. To address the steadily shrinking number of military personnel, the government plans to restructure military branches, expand the use of civilian resources and improve the readiness of reserve forces. It also pledged to support the defense industry by fostering high-tech sectors such as artificial intelligence, drone systems, advanced engines and space technologies, as well as by pursuing innovation in weapons acquisition. 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The committee emphasized that any path toward unification must be grounded in public consensus, pledging to broaden civic participation in policymaking, promote peace and unification education and foster a more balanced public perception of North Korea. In broader diplomacy, the Lee administration promised a pragmatic approach based on national interest. The government seeks to evolve the alliance with the US into a future-oriented comprehensive partnership, pursue forward-looking relations with Japan, deepen strategic ties with China and manage relations with Russia in a stable and constructive manner. The plan also reaffirmed Seoul's commitment to expanding its outreach to G7 nations, building upon the New Southern and New Northern policies, and to strengthening engagement with countries in the Global South.


Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Breaking boundaries in AI-powered life sciences
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Korea Herald
14 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee, Ishiba to hold summit on Aug. 23
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