Korea to launch free nationwide AI service in December 2026

South Korea will launch a free nationwide artificial intelligence service called '모두의 AI' in December 2026, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon said at a parliamentary audit on October 23, according to digitaltoday.co.kr. The service is planned as a general-purpose AI available to all citizens at no charge, without the need for a paid AI subscription.

Bae said the ministry will also look into the burden of OTT subscription costs as part of digital welfare policy. A lawmaker's office has calculated that subscribing to YouTube Premium, Netflix Premium, ChatGPT and Claude Pro together costs about 90,000 won per month, or more than 1 million won a year, in Korea.

On connectivity, the ministry plans to press the three major telecom carriers to expand 5G-based subway Wi-Fi nationwide, following a pilot on the Incheon subway. Incheon Transit Corporation completed a pilot that replaced LTE-based equipment with 5G-based equipment in October 2026.

Privacy fine lawsuit

Asked about Coupang's legal challenge to its privacy fine, Bae said the ministry will cooperate in the company's administrative lawsuit, though the Personal Information Protection Commission is the party to the case. The commission imposed a fine of about 624.7 billion won on Coupang for violating the Personal Information Protection Act, and Coupang filed an administrative lawsuit seeking cancellation of the fine on October 7, 2026.