SK Telecom, Kakao, KT Corp consortiums join project; beta service set for next month, full launch by year-end
South Korea has officially launched "AI for All," a government initiative to provide free AI services to the entire population. A beta service is set to begin next month, with a full rollout expected before the end of the year.
The project aims to embed "everyday life-oriented" AI agent services — spanning public services, healthcare, finance and more — into the daily routines of all citizens.
The Ministry of Science and ICT held a launch briefing Friday morning at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. The event brought together the three selected consortiums — led by SK Telecom, Kakao and KT Corp — to present their service development plans and discuss ways to collaborate.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon said in his opening remarks that "the ultimate goal is to ensure that new domestically developed AI services take root naturally in the daily lives of citizens," and said the government would spare no effort in supporting "AI for All" as a flagship AI service for South Korea.
Bae said what matters most is "how easily and frequently people can access the service, and how much it actually helps in their real lives," and called on all parties to work together toward a year-end launch that "gives citizens everyday convenience and opens up a new domestic AI market for businesses."
He added that he was "confident that if the public and private sectors join forces, we can successfully embed the 'AI for All' service into the daily lives of citizens."
The briefing also unveiled a blueprint for the public-facing services to be released this year. The lead companies of each of the three consortiums presented their service development plans, including prototype video demonstrations.
The Kakao consortium, which includes major LG Group affiliates, plans to offer a general-purpose chatbot alongside public and specialized AI agents through channels already familiar to users, such as KakaoTalk and phone calls. The consortium announced it will build an "AI for All" platform where everything from information searches to applications, reservations and payments can be completed within a single conversation.
The platform will draw on domestically developed AI models, including Kakao's own Kanana and LG's EXAONE.
The Kakao consortium plans to gradually expand personalized AI agents and an open agent marketplace to broaden public access to AI, while also advancing domestic AI models and creating more service and business opportunities for Korean AI companies.
The KT Corp consortium is focusing on a real-time search-based general-purpose AI agent. It introduced a service called "Eum" that connects more than 10 specialized AI services across sectors including public services, education, finance and shopping, letting users experience the practical benefits of AI in their everyday lives. The consortium includes Daum, Upstage and NC AI.
Users will be able to transition seamlessly into an AI chatbot through Daum's search service, news and other channels.
The KT Corp consortium will build on an AI operations platform called Token Factory, which integrates various domestic AI models with GPU and NPU infrastructure and automatically connects users to the optimal model. The consortium plans to consolidate the strengths of the domestic AI ecosystem and develop it into an open platform.
Alongside this, the SK Telecom consortium said it will go beyond simple question-and-answer interactions to offer an action-oriented AI service that handles processes on behalf of users — from authentication through to applications and payments.
The consortium also plans to introduce phone- and text-based agent features so that users who have difficulty navigating mobile apps or web environments can still access the service with ease. Specialized services in everyday areas such as healthcare and finance are also set to be included.
sjpark@heraldcorp.com
