Actng president calls for future education based on trust, cooperation in AI era
Lee, the education minister, made the remarks as he attended the ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, a preparatory session taking place ahead of the APEC summit to be hosted by South Korea's city of Gyeongju later this year.
"South Korea is a country that has achieved both economic growth and social development through the power of education," Lee said in the opening remarks at the plenary session of the 7th APEC education ministers' meeting on Jeju Island.
"The advancement of digital technologies and the emergence of AI represent a civilizational shift," he said. "Based on trust and cooperation, we will prepare for the future and create a new vision."
The education ministers' meeting kicked off Tuesday for a three-day run. It will be followed by a series of other high-level sessions, including the trade ministers' talks set for Thursday and Friday. (Yonhap)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
26 minutes ago
- Korea Herald
Hanwha Life brings back dual CEOs for AI, global push
Hanwha Life Insurance's new co-CEOs, Vice Chair Kwon Hyeuk-woong and President Lee Kyung-keun, officially took office on Tuesday, reinstating a dual leadership structure for the first time in six years. Their appointments were approved at a temporary shareholders' meeting and board session held the same day. The top executives will lead the Korean insurer with independent representation rights. In a letter to employees, Kwon and Lee set a vision to transform Hanwha Life into a 'life solutions partner,' offering services that go beyond traditional insurance and are tailored to each stage of a customer's life. To achieve this, the new CEOs emphasized the need to strengthen artificial intelligence capabilities, calling AI essential for navigating the tech-driven transformation of the financial sector. 'As AI accelerates the arrival of a hyper-personalized era, the insurance industry must also deliver individualized solutions based on a deep understanding of each customer's life,' they said. The two leaders also stressed their commitment to expanding Hanwha Life's global business. 'We will continue pursuing our vision of becoming a global, comprehensive financial group; advancing our business in East Asia, including Indonesia, where we have established a full-service financial system; and expanding our presence in the US, where we've entered the brokerage sector,' they said. This year, Hanwha Life made a strategic investment in Indonesia's Nobu Bank and acquired a controlling stake in US brokerage firm Velocity Clearing. Both deals mark milestones for both the company and the Korean insurance industry as a whole. On Tuesday, the co-CEOs visited all 30 floors of the company's headquarters in Seoul's Yeouido district, greeting and encouraging the firm's 1,800 employees. The leadership change follows the departure of former CEO Yeo Seung-joo, who is moving to Hanwha Group to head its management support division. The dual CEO structure returns after its suspension in 2019, when Yeo became the sole CEO. Kwon, formerly CEO of Hanwha Ocean, is expected to oversee overall operations, while Lee, previously CEO of Hanwha Life Financial Services — a wholly owned subsidiary responsible for the firm's sales force — will focus on insurance strategy and core business development.
Korea Herald
an hour ago
- Korea Herald
Ruling party lawmaker accused of trading stocks under someone else's name
South Korea's ruling Democratic Party of Korea launched an internal probe Tuesday after a senior lawmaker was photographed appearing to trade stocks under someone else's name during a parliamentary session. This sparked speculations that the lawmaker might have failed to fulfill his duty to declare assets as a public official. Local media published an image showing Rep. Lee Choon-suak, chair of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, using his phone to access trading windows for Naver and LG CNS shares. The account name did not match his, prompting allegations of borrowed-name trading. Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the main opposition People Power Party said he would file a criminal complaint, accusing Lee of violating the Real-Name Financial Transactions Act and the Public Service Ethics Act. 'Borrowed-name stock trading is a serious crime that exploits retail investors,' Joo said, adding that omitting such assets from mandatory disclosures could call Lee's qualifications into question. The Legislation and Judiciary Committee is considered one of the most influential in South Korea's Assembly, serving as the final gatekeeper for bills heading to a plenary vote at regular sessions. The Democratic Party's ethics oversight panel will lead the internal inquiry.
Korea Herald
2 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Student startup boom slows across South Korea, but top universities see sharp rise
Student-led startups are losing momentum across most of South Korea for the first time in three years, but at a handful of top universities, entrepreneurship is quietly accelerating. New data released Monday by the Korea Council for University Education and university startup support centers showed that 1,860 startups were founded by university students nationwide in 2024, falling 7 percent from the previous year's 2,000. The number of student entrepreneurs also declined, down 6.6 percent year-on-year from 2,137 to 1,997. This marks the first nationwide decline since 2021, when campus activity was still restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The slowdown follows two years of rapid growth in student entrepreneurship; from 2022 to 2023, it surged by more than 23 percent. The drop is thought to be largely due to a tougher investment climate, a slowing global economy and a significant pullback in government support programs. Two of South Korea's most prominent early-stage funding initiatives have seen sharp reductions. The "Pre-Startup Package" funded 1,530 companies in 2021, but only 930 in 2023, a 39.2 percent cut. Similarly, the "Early Startup Package" dropped from 900 companies to 590 over the same period, a 34.4 percent decrease. These programs are a primary funding source for student entrepreneurs who lack access to private venture capital. According to Lee Ki-dae, head of the Seoul-based Startup Alliance Center, reliance on public support creates a delayed but significant impact. 'Most student startups are not backed by private VC investment but by public or university support, so they tend to react to market changes with a time lag,' he said. Despite this cooling trend nationwide, four universities are bucking the pattern. In 2024, Seoul National University, Korea University, Yonsei University and KAIST collectively produced 205 student entrepreneurs, a 31.4 percent increase from 156 in 2023. KAIST alone saw a 53.8 percent jump, followed by Korea University at 50 percent, Seoul National at 44.1 percent and Yonsei at 11.3 percent. Together, these four institutions now account for over 10 percent of all student entrepreneurs in the country, up from 7.8 percent just two years ago. 'At schools like KAIST or Seoul National, you have stronger labs, better access to funding, and a long history of research in advanced fields like AI, semiconductors and robotics,' Lee said. 'So when deep tech becomes the trend, it's natural that students at those universities are in a better position to start companies. They're surrounded by the right people, equipment and support systems from day one.'
