S. Korea unveils plan to ease display industry rules, set AI security guide
In short
The Prime Minister's Office said on Oct 6 that the government will push regulatory improvements to keep the display industry competitive, including removing automotive interior display strengthened glass from import approval requirements. The plan also targets security guidelines for using generative AI while protecting national core technologies, to be prepared by the first quarter of next year. The Prime Minister's Office cited China's rapidly expanding share and high overseas dependence for some core materials and equipment.
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The Prime Minister's Office said on Oct 6 that the government will push regulatory improvements to maintain industrial competitiveness, including excluding automotive interior display strengthened glass and other items from import approval requirements. The regulatory reform committee's growth subcommittee announced the measures as a “display industry on-site regulation improvement plan.” Newsis and Asia Economy also reported the announcement. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Under the plan, the government will seek to revise the export-import notice within the year so that items with low relevance to the original regulatory purpose, such as strengthened glass for automotive interior displays, are removed from import approval. The Prime Minister's Office expects this to reduce administrative burdens for display companies in procuring materials. [ 2 ]
The plan also calls for preparing security guidelines by the first quarter of next year so that generative AI can be used while national core technologies are protected. It would allow multi-to-multi renewable energy direct power purchase agreements, in which multiple suppliers and users trade at the same time, only for transactions within renewable energy special zones. Chemical-handling sites would be permitted to use generic names instead of actual substance names when notifying chemical accident prevention management plans if trade secret protection is required. [ 1 , 2 ]
Additional measures include shortening the start-up period for expanded facilities, easing the requirement for face-to-face logging of electrical facility inspection records, and considering substance content when calculating chemical accident impact ranges. [ 2 ]
The Prime Minister's Office said displays are “the core interface of advanced industries” and that Korea maintains global competitiveness based on accumulated technology and production capacity. It added that China is rapidly expanding its market share on the back of large-scale production capacity, and that high overseas dependence for some core materials and equipment is increasing the need to strengthen competitiveness across the industrial ecosystem. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The measures are aimed at cutting administrative burdens for display companies in procuring materials, an industry the Prime Minister's Office describes as a core interface of advanced industries. The stated rationale is competitive pressure from China's large-scale production capacity and dependence on overseas suppliers for some core materials and equipment. The AI security guidelines would set conditions for using generative AI while protecting national core technologies.
Key facts
- The Prime Minister's Office said the government will pursue regulatory improvements to maintain industrial competitiveness including excluding automotive interior display strengthened glass from import approval requirements. [ 2 ]
- The regulatory reform committee's growth subcommittee announced a plan on Oct 6 titled “display industry on-site regulation improvement plan.” [ 2 ]
- The government plans to revise the export-import notice within the year to exclude items with low relevance to the original regulatory purpose, which the Prime Minister's Office expects to reduce administrative burdens in display companies' materials procurement. [ 2 ]
- Security guidelines for using generative AI while protecting national core technologies are targeted for the first quarter of next year. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Multi-to-multi direct power purchase agreements (PPA) among multiple suppliers and users will be allowed only for transactions within renewable energy special zones. [ 2 ]
- Chemical-handling sites will be allowed to use generic names instead of actual substance names when notifying chemical accident prevention management plans if trade secret protection is needed. [ 2 ]
- Other measures include shortening the start-up period for expanded facilities, easing the requirement for face-to-face logging of electrical facility inspection records, and considering substance content when calculating chemical accident impact ranges. [ 2 ]
- The Prime Minister's Office said Korea maintains global competitiveness based on accumulated technology and production capacity, while China is rapidly expanding its share through large-scale production capacity and dependence on overseas sources for some core materials and equipment is high. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The government announced a plan to improve regulations for the display industry on Oct 6. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The plan includes simplifying imports and preparing AI security guidelines. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The Prime Minister's Office said the regulatory improvements are intended to maintain industrial competitiveness. [ 2 ]
Still unclear
- The detailed contents of the plan, including the list of items to be excluded from import approval beyond automotive display strengthened glass. These specifics appear only in one outlet, Yonhap, which attributes them to the Prime Minister's Office; the other documents carried only the announcement or its headline.
- When the measures take effect. The documents give targets rather than fixed dates: revision of the export-import notice within the year and AI security guidelines by the first quarter of next year.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The Prime Minister's Office and the regulatory reform committee's growth subcommittee announce the display industry regulation improvement plan; Yonhap and Newsis publish reports. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Asia Economy publishes a photo item on the announcement of the display industry regulatory reform results. [ 3 ]