President’s Office “Samsung crisis theory symbolizes crisis in science and industry… We need to find the next generation power” (comprehensive)

Park Sang-wook, Senior Secretary to Science and Technology, “AI Basic Act must be legislated as soon as possible.”
“Construction of 4 small module reactors reflected in the 11th power supply and demand plan”

Park Sang-wook, Senior Secretary to the President for Science and Technology (Image source = Yonhap News)

View original icon

On the 20th, Park Sang-wook, senior secretary for science and technology in the Presidential Office, diagnosed the recently raised ‘Samsung Electronics crisis theory’ by saying, “It is not just a problem for Samsung, but a symbolic phenomenon for a crisis in our country’s science and technology and industry.”

Chief Park appeared on KBS1’s Sunday Diagnosis on this day and said, “Personally, I do not strongly agree with the statement that Samsung is in crisis, but judging from the evaluation in the stock market and the crisis theories emerging even within Samsung, it seems to be a real crisis.”

Chief Park said, “Semiconductors are a national key industry and an industry we are grateful for that has provided a great driving force for our country to live well, but it also means that it is time to find the next generation growth engine.” He continued, “As the Samsung Group has successfully entered the bio industry based on the capabilities Samsung Electronics has accumulated over the years, when the artificial intelligence (AI) or bio era arrives, Samsung Electronics will take another leap forward by riding the big wave.” “I think the opportunity to do it will come soon,” he emphasized.

“AI revolution begins…Infrastructure expansion promotion committee launched”

In particular, Chief Park repeatedly explained the importance of AI as the government selected AI, advanced biotechnology, and quantum as the three major game changers. The fact that many of this year’s Nobel Prize winners in science came from Google, a global big tech company, was evaluated as “the Nobel Prize Committee’s declaration that the era of artificial intelligence has fully arrived,” and that “AI is literally flooding into biotechnology, materials, and all other fields of science and technology, like a tsunami.” “We are at the beginning of the AI ​​revolution,” he said.

Chief Park said, “Our country will also launch a National Artificial Intelligence Committee directly under the President to respond in an all-round way to the era of artificial intelligence.” He added, “Ministers from all relevant ministries will attend this meeting and a subcommittee and special committee to be launched in November along with public and private members.” “We will lead everything related to AI,” he said.

Regarding the criticism that the infrastructure for AI development is significantly lacking compared to the United States, he said, “Our advantage is that the public and private sectors can work together as a team to push ahead quickly.” He added, “The government has established a promotion committee to expand AI computing infrastructure as a successor to the National Artificial Intelligence Committee. “It will be launched soon, and the Minister of Strategy and Finance will serve as chairman,” he said. He also said, “The reason the Minister of Strategy and Finance is taking charge of the committee is because we plan to equip the AI ​​computing infrastructure to an appropriate level as soon as possible by investing policy finance through the Korea Development Bank or Industrial Bank of Korea, as well as private investment, government budget, and policy finance.”

Regarding the delay in enacting the basic law for AI development, he said, “The current situation in the National Assembly is not easy, but I believe that the basic AI law will be legislated as soon as possible through agreement between the ruling and opposition parties, and I earnestly ask you to do so.” He added, “Because the basic AI is the starting point for AI transition, the basic AI law is “I would like to ask you to establish a system to enact and revise it from time to time,” he emphasized.

Regarding the fact that, unlike Japan, which has won many Nobel Prizes in Science, Korea has not received any Nobel Prizes in Science, Chief Park said, “It has only been about 30 years since full-scale investment was made in the field of basic science, but investment in basic science research and development (R&D) is “If we strengthen our capabilities and produce the world’s first research, it will be possible in the near future,” he predicted. “As we are a world-class high-tech powerhouse and our country’s awareness and favorability have increased, we will soon be able to receive the Nobel Prize in Science.”

(Image source = Yonhap News)

(Image source = Yonhap News)

View original icon

“4 SMRs, 1 large nuclear power plant output… basic plan announced at the end of the year”

In addition, Chief Park said, “The plan to build four small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) will be reflected in the 11th Basic Power Supply and Demand Plan to be announced at the end of the year,” adding, “In terms of electricity generation capacity, SMRs with a capacity of 170 to 350 megawatts will be built into 4. He explained, “You have to bundle about 10 of them to produce the output equivalent to one large nuclear power plant.”

Regarding the prospect of the National Assembly’s approval of the 11th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, he said, “SMR is a nuclear power plant that can be completed and shipped from the factory, and is a nuclear technology as well as a technology that can become a next-generation growth engine and a major export product.” “It can’t happen,” he said. Chief Park continued, “When it comes to SMR, Korea is ranked 2nd to 3rd in the world. SMR is a technology that has not yet been standardized, so we are in a situation where we need to develop technology and create licensing standards at the same time.” He added, “We are developing a Korean-type SMR and hiring professional manpower.” “We are accelerating our efforts to obtain SMR licenses in a timely manner, including by expanding .”

Regarding the nuclear power alliance established by President Yoon Seok-yeol during his recent visit to the Czech Republic, he said, “It is meaningful in expanding the existing Korea-US nuclear alliance to include Korea, the US, and the Czech Republic,” adding, “Because nuclear power is not simply a power plant, but an applied technology of nuclear energy. “In that it involves cooperation in highly strategic technological fields, the nuclear power alliance means cooperation at the alliance level in almost all fields of science and technology,” he emphasized.

Regarding the Constitutional Court’s decision that carbon neutrality is inconsistent with the basic constitution, Chief Park said, “I believe that the Carbon Neutral Basic Act itself is not unconstitutional, but rather a stern warning from the Constitutional Court against passing on responsibility for carbon emissions to future generations without setting a specific reduction target.” He said, “We will quickly set a national carbon reduction goal from 2031 to 2035 within a few months, and in the second step, we will present specific figures that guarantee actionability from 2036 to 2050 so that we can change it to constitutionality.”


Reporter Seo So-jeong ssj@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ투자가를 위한 경제콘텐츠 플랫폼, 아시아경제(www.asiae.co.kr) 무단전재 배포금지>

Source: www.asiae.co.kr