South Korea has initiated a 'Universal AI' program, striving to offer its 51 million citizens complimentary and unrestricted access to generative AI services. The government will bear the operational expenses, with full implementation anticipated by the year's end. The initiative stipulates that a minimum of 80% of these services must be powered by South Korean AI models, thereby fostering the growth of the domestic AI sector.

The government has earmarked an annual budget of 250 billion won from 2027 to 2030, with additional funding to be generated through advertising and premium service fees in the future. This endeavor is not merely a welfare initiative; it also seeks to mainstream AI as a production tool among the general populace. By doing so, it aims to reduce the barriers to entrepreneurship, empower workers in their negotiations, and intervene in social distribution at the very source of wealth creation. Nevertheless, to fully unlock the productivity benefits, it is imperative to establish robust organizational and institutional support systems.