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South Korea Launches AI Projects Spanning Healthcare, Traffic and Infrastructure

Prime Highlights 

  • The AI system developed with Chonnam National University Hospital assesses the appropriateness of emergency medical treatment in real time. 
  • The ministry said selected startups would receive tailored consulting and commercialisation support alongside project funding. 

Key Facts 

  • South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT selected 18 projects from 82 proposals submitted after the programme opened in March. 
  • The projects span three categories: public services, regional and social issues, and public infrastructure modernisation. 

Background 

South Korea has selected 18 artificial intelligence pilot projects aimed at addressing public-sector challenges ranging from traffic congestion to emergency medical care and highway infrastructure, as the government expands support for AI-powered GovTech startups. 

The Ministry of Science and ICT said earlier this week it had officially launched the 2026 GovTech AI Demonstration and Commercialization Program with a kickoff meeting, marking the start of projects that are tailored to actual needs that public authorities have recognized. 

The initiative pairs government organisations seeking technology solutions with startups capable of developing AI applications. A total of 82 proposals were submitted after the programme opened in March, with 18 selected following evaluations of feasibility, competitiveness, execution capability and social impact. 

Among the selected healthcare-focused initiatives is a real-time AI system developed with Chonnam National University Hospital to assess the appropriateness of emergency medical treatment, aimed at improving decision-making in critical care settings. This project is part of the “public services” domain of the programme, along with an AI-based document pre-screening system for the Public Procurement Service and an AI agent to reduce administrative overheads for small companies. 

Other initiatives target regional and social issues, including an AI traffic management system in Cheonan and a fraud-response system for financial scams. Infrastructure projects include AI-based highway drainage validation and an autonomous robot for laying power guide wires. 

The ministry said participating startups would receive business consulting, commercialisation support and opportunities to showcase their technologies through exhibitions and investor networking events.