Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Defense Data Management Committee launched

World’s best digital platform government envisioned

Private sector, government, and military officials discuss policy directions

Dedicated agency designated to promote collaboration between ministries

The first meeting of the Defense Data Management Committee, the control tower of defense data policy, has been held.

The South Korean military intends to realize the world’s best digital platform government, one of the state affairs, and support Defense Innovation 4.0 and an artificial intelligence (AI)-based military power through the committee.

On December 22, the Ministry of National Defense held the first session of the Defense Data Management Committee hosted by Vice Minister of National Defense Shin Beom-chul at the conference room of the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

The Defense Data Management Committee, organized under an order on the management and promotion of use of defense data, is chaired by the vice minister of national defense. The committee is a consultative body that establishes, deliberates on, and coordinates policies on the management and use of defense data.

The government established Korea’s digital strategy to carry out the New York Initiative, which emphasizes the creation of data-based social and economic value. It is intensively building the world’s best government digital platform to collect all data.

The Ministry of National Defense is aware that in order to cultivate a strong AI-centered military, innovation is necessary to ensure the military that makes the most out of data, and it has issued related instructions and organized the Defense Data Management Committee as the control tower of data policies.

The first meeting was attended by more than 20 representatives of the private sector, government, and the military, including the Ministry of National Defense, the core positions in each military branch, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Naver, and the AI Graduate School of Chung-Ang University.

The meeting discussed directions for defense data policies to accelerate the implementation of the data-based “Defense Innovation 4.0.”

Participants agreed to the necessity of the strategic collection and use of data, designation of a dedicated agency for data management and use, implementation of AI convergence projects through collaboration with related entities such as the Ministry of Science and ICT AI+X project, and creation of a defense AI center, in order to realize data-based scientific decision-making and explore and plan AI requirements, and discussed directions and collaborations to achieve these policies.

The Ministry of National Defense said the meeting was significant as it highlighted the importance of “defense data,” a strategic asset to accelerate Defense Innovation 4.0, and discussed and reached a consensus on ways of developing defense data policies both in and outside of the military.

Vice Minister Shin, who hosted the meeting, said, “Data is a strategic asset for establishing AI-based armed forces and systematic management of data is required. The Defense Data Management Committee will establish policies for defense data management and use, thereby promoting Defense Innovation 4.0.”

Eom Yeol, Director General of Artificial Intelligence Policy Bureau of Ministry of Science and ICT, said, “I agree to the necessity of AI and data-based defense innovation to strengthen defense capabilities, and we will continue to collaborate to create synergy through convergence and the use of defense data and private sector data.”

Ha Jung-woo, Director of the Subcommittee for AI and Data under the Presidential Committee on the Digital Platform Government (Head of Naver CLOVA & AI Lab), said, “The use of the private sector’s professional capacities is essential for the strategic utilization of various defense data, and the efforts of the military to reinforce collaborations with private specialized entities have had a positive effect. I will spare no support in promoting cooperation between the private sector, government, and the military.”

By Chae-Mu, Im <lims86@dema.mil.kr >

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