Science ministry clears bills to widen access to national AI training data

The science ministry said Tuesday that revisions to two laws governing artificial intelligence and data were approved at a Cabinet meeting, clearing the way for government-funded AI training data to be pooled in a national repository.

Under the AI Framework Act revision, data built or produced in the course of government projects must be linked and supplied to the AI Hub, the ministry's large-scale AI training data platform at aihub.or.kr.

Project operators may decline to link or provide data if they judge that doing so would breach trade secrets, infringe personal information or copyright protections, or compromise national security. The science minister and heads of relevant central government agencies may provide administrative, financial and technical support, and must take steps to maintain stable quality control over the data supplied.

The Data Industry Promotion Act amendment addresses a separate problem. Since 2025 the ministry has run a one-window service at data1window.kr that connects public and private data platforms. The new rules allow the science minister to request that public institutions and private companies cooperate in linking data listings needed for the service. Public institutions are required to comply unless they have a special reason not to, and the amendment establishes a basis for the minister to provide technical and financial support for that linking.

The two amendments will take effect six months after promulgation, in April 2027. The ministry said it will move promptly to prepare subordinate legislation.

"To raise AI competitiveness, it is important to secure high-quality AI training data while also building a foundation that lets the public find and use the data they need easily," said Um Yeol, head of the ministry's AI policy office. "Through this legal revision, we will strengthen the foundation for using national AI data and support the development of the AI industry."