Interior ministry gathers county deputies to push AI transition in local government

The interior ministry said Tuesday that its Local Government Officials Development Institute convened a workshop for deputy heads of city, county and district governments at the Government Sejong Convention Center, as it seeks to spread the government's policy agenda and strengthen cooperation between central and local authorities.

Hah Jeong-woo, vice chairman of the Presidential Committee on National AI Strategy, opened the programme with a lecture on "Irreplaceable Korea," artificial intelligence transformation, and the future of local administration. He reviewed the national AI strategy and described how the shift to AI is changing the administrative environment, and he discussed ways for local governments to use the technology to change how they work and deliver better services to residents.

Jin Myung-ki, head of the ministry's Autonomy Innovation Office, followed with a lecture on resident-centred local autonomy. He shared measures for supporting residents who take part directly in shaping regional policy and solving local problems, and for helping communities drive change in their own areas.

In his remarks to the participants, Vice Minister Kim Min-jae said policy is completed only when it is carried out on the ground and residents feel the difference. "It is important for local administration to listen to residents' voices, find solutions suited to local conditions and act on them quickly," he said, adding that the ministry will actively support local governments in leading change in their regions.

The institute said it plans to keep strengthening policy communication between the central and local governments so that national agenda items produce tangible results in regional communities.