▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on July 16, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday that better utilizing South Korea's strengths could make the nation a global leader rather than a follower in the rapidly evolving era of artificial intelligence (AI).

Lee made the remarks while receiving briefings from the science ministry and other government agencies on the progress of their policy initiatives.

"The world is undergoing a civilization-level transformation driven by AI. I think it is tantamount to humankind's discovery of fire or the invention of the steam locomotive or electricity," the president said.

"If we make the best use of our strengths and address our weaknesses, we could become a leading player rather than a follower," the president said, calling the AI era "a decisive opportunity" for South Korea.

The remarks come as South Korea seeks to establish itself as a global AI powerhouse. Last month, the Lee administration announced three megaprojects involving major investments, totaling over 4,000 trillion won (US$2.68 trillion), in a semiconductor production cluster, physical AI and AI data centers.

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