DAEJEON: From Celltrion chair Seo Jung-jin to K-pop star G-Dragon, “Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae and Go legend Lee Se-dol – Innovate Korea 2025 brought together leaders from across industries, connecting them over a single theme: humanity in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
The event unfolded into a festival of technology and the arts – a stage where innovation itself became a celebration of humanity and connection.
“Ironically, the key to surviving in this world lies with humans. We need to come together, harness AI as a tool and achieve shared goals – not by outpacing machines, but by outthinking them.”
This message from Angel Robotics chief executive (CEO) Kong Kyoung-Chul resonated with the crowd at KAIST’s Lyu Keun-chul Sports Complex in Daejeon last Wednesday – capturing the awe and unease felt as humanity stands at the edge of the AI era.
Marking its ninth year as one of South Korea’s largest annual science and technology forums, Innovate Korea is jointly hosted by Herald Media Group, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and the National Research Council of Science and Technology.
This year’s event drew some 10,000 participants, bringing together science enthusiasts from all walks of life – from scholars and scientists to entrepreneurs, government officials and students.
Herald Media Group CEO Choi Jin-young delivered the opening remarks, followed by congratulatory speeches from First vice-minister of Science and ICT Lee Chang-yune and KAIST president Lee Kwang-hyung.
Opening the event was a keynote speech from biopharm giant Celltrion founder and Chair Seo Jung-jin.
He reflected on his own story of starting the company 25 years ago, with just 50 million won (US$35,200) and five employees, then building it into South Korea’s largest biopharmaceuticals powerhouse.
“You need to be desperate enough to push yourself to the edge of a cliff – and whatever it is you do, you have to enjoy it,” Seo told the crowd.
“When someone throws themselves into their work like crazy, the whole world will come looking for them.”
The spotlight turned to “Squid Game” star and filmmaker Lee Jung-jae, who joined a discussion on the future of South Korean content in a technology-saturated world.
Lee, also co-founder of talent agency Artist Company, argued that South Korea’s creative strength was forged in an era of scarcity.
“Back then, we didn’t have enough resources, so we focused on the story itself and the values we wanted to convey,” he said.
“That grit and determination to overcome limits brought us to where we are today.”
The challenge now, he said, is not access to technology – it is using it without losing sight of human emotion.
“Technology is just a tool,” he said. “What matters is how we merge it with story.”
One of the day’s most unexpected highlights came from robots, which took centre stage between sessions to show off their latest moves.
KAIST’s robotics club staged a playful reenactment of the infamous Red Light, Green Light scene – complete with robots – with Lee gamely joining in to the crowd’s delight.
But the day’s most powerful moment came when scientist Kim Seung-hwan, who has paralysis of the legs, rose from his wheelchair with the help of the WalkOn Suit F1, a wearable robot co-developed by Angel Robotics and KAIST.
The audience, which held its breath while he made several attempts to stand, erupted in applause at his eventual success – a moving testament to the event’s theme of technology and human resilience.
It was a fitting opener for the talk that followed, devoted to the idea that extraordinary breakthroughs often emerge from failure.
“Even as a robot-maker, I’m overwhelmed by the speed of AI,” Angel Robotics CEO Kong Kyoung-Chul said, acknowledging the paradox of working at the cutting edge of robotics while worrying about the implications.
“With AI accelerating technological evolution at an unprecedented pace and global competition growing fiercer by the day, we must find a way to stay afloat,” said Kong.
“That starts with looking inward – to our humanity. Rather than be overtaken, we should harness AI as a tool and turn this moment into an opportunity to come together in pursuit of shared goals.” — The Korea Herald/ANN
