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Global Index Score

47.69

Global: 37thRegional: 4thIncome Group: 31st

South Korea's index score lands +14.7 against the Asia and Oceania average (33.0) and -4.4 against High income peers (52.1). It scores ahead of 73% of the 135 economies assessed this edition. Published score 47.7 reflects a URAI adjustment from 49.7 (1 government-misuse evidence item on file) — including "22000 Units of AI-based intelligent CCTV to be installed in Seoul". The profile rests on 26 documented evidence items spanning policy frameworks, government initiatives and civil society activity.

How South Korea Performs Across the Five Dimensions

GIRAI evaluates countries across five core dimensions that capture the social, ethical, and institutional impacts of artificial intelligence.

AI Policy

42.45

Avrg. Score

25.65

Global: 38thRegional: 6th

Enabling Conditions

76.47

Avrg. Score

55.27

Global: 24thRegional: 4th

Civil Society Engagement

12.67

Avrg. Score

17.68

Global: 70thRegional: 19th
1

Inclusion and Diversity

35.83

Index Score

33.21

Avrg. Dimension score

Global: 54thRegional: 12th

South Korea runs +2.6 against the regional average (33.2) on Inclusion and Diversity. Strongest indicators: Children's Rights (36.4), Gender Equality (9.1). Weakest: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (0.0). This dimension ranks 54th globally — behind the country's overall position (37th). 3 evidence items on file, including "Guidelines for the protection of children's and adolescents' privacy".

2

Ethics and Sustainability

51.86

Index Score

31.00

Avrg. Dimension score

Global: 32ndRegional: 5th

South Korea runs +20.9 against the regional average (31.0) on Ethics and Sustainability. Strongest indicators: Human Oversight and Determination (74.5), Fairness and Non-discrimination (70.5). Weakest: Environmental Impact (0.0), Transparency and Explainability (65.5). This dimension ranks 32nd globally — ahead of the country's overall position (37th). 6 evidence items on file, including "National AI Committee" and 1 other documented items.

3

Labour and Skills

54.49

Index Score

36.03

Avrg. Dimension score

Global: 30thRegional: 2nd

South Korea runs +18.5 against the regional average (36.0) on Labour and Skills. Strongest indicators: Reskilling/Upskilling Initiatives (71.8), AI Literacy (70.5). Weakest: Labour Protections (9.1). This dimension ranks 30th globally — ahead of the country's overall position (37th). 6 evidence items on file, including "Advancement Plan for Elementary and Secondary Digital Infrastructure" and 3 other documented items.

4

Trust and Safety

63.52

Index Score

38.45

Avrg. Dimension score

Global: 27thRegional: 3rd

South Korea runs +25.1 against the regional average (38.4) on Trust and Safety. Strongest indicators: Safety and Security (72.5), Impact Assessments (72.5). Weakest: AI-facilitated Misinformation and Violence (61.4), Access to Redress and Remedy (63.6). This dimension ranks 27th globally — ahead of the country's overall position (37th). 7 evidence items on file, including "FRAMEWORK ACT ON INTELLIGENT INFORMATIZATION" and 3 other documented items.

5

AI Use in Public Service

42.69

Index Score

30.02

Avrg. Dimension score

Global: 36thRegional: 7th

South Korea runs +12.7 against the regional average (30.0) on AI Use in Public Service. Strongest indicators: Public Disclosure of Government Algorithmic Systems (61.4), Public Sector Skills Development (9.1). Weakest: Public Procurement (9.1). This dimension ranks 36th globally — ahead of the country's overall position (37th). 4 evidence items on file, including "The Governments AI Transformation How Were Doing It".

Comparing Results Across Editions

Explore how country performance, scores, and governance indicators have changed between GIRAI editions.

14 indicators

Indicator2024 Edition2026 Edition
Gender EqualityNo FrameworkNo Framework
Children's RightsNon-Binding FrameworkNon-Binding Framework
Cultural and Linguistic DiversityNo FrameworkNo Framework
Fairness and Non-discriminationNo FrameworkBinding Framework
Transparency and ExplainabilityNo FrameworkBinding Framework
Human Oversight and DeterminationNo FrameworkBinding Framework
Labour ProtectionsNo FrameworkNo Framework
Reskilling/Upskilling InitiativesBinding FrameworkBinding Framework
Safety and SecurityBinding FrameworkBinding Framework
Access to Redress and RemedyBinding FrameworkBinding Framework
Impact AssessmentsBinding FrameworkBinding Framework
Public Sector Skills DevelopmentNo FrameworkNo Framework
Public ProcurementNo FrameworkNo Framework
Government Mechanisms for CSO Inclusion in AI Policy and GovernanceNon-Binding FrameworkBinding Framework

Indicator definitions changed between editions; this table compares evidence presence and status, not directly comparable scores. A — indicates the item is not applicable or was not assessed for that edition.

Compare responsible AI performance

Explore how countries and regions perform across GIRAI's governance dimensions, scores, and structural indicators.

Compare
🇰🇷South Korea

47.69

Global 37thRegional 4th
Asia and Oceania

32.98

Regional average

Dimension scores

Inclusion and Diversity
South Korea
35.8
Asia and Oceania
33.2
Ethics and Sustainability
South Korea
51.9
Asia and Oceania
31.0
Labour and Skills
South Korea
54.5
Asia and Oceania
36.0
Trust and Safety
South Korea
63.5
Asia and Oceania
38.4
AI Use in Public Service
South Korea
42.7
Asia and Oceania
30.0

Indicators

37 of 37
IndicatorSouth KoreaAsia and Oceania
Inclusion and Diversity7
APGender Equality
9.124.5
APChildren's Rights
36.427.8
APCultural and Linguistic Diversity
0.025.9
CSOCivil Society Engagement in Inclusion and Diversity
15.415.4
ECEgalitarian Democracy
84.133.2
ECSocioeconomic Inclusion in Connectivity
74.349.2
ECGender Inclusion in Connectivity
93.578.0
Ethics and Sustainability6
APFairness and Non-discrimination
70.526.1
APTransparency and Explainability
65.533.5
APHuman Oversight and Determination
74.526.2
APEnvironmental Impact
0.018.0
CSOCivil Society Engagement in Ethics and Sustainability
23.120.8
ECEnvironmental Performance
39.940.9
Labour and Skills6
APLabour Protections
9.17.7
APReskilling/Upskilling Initiatives
71.841.4
APAI Literacy
70.539.0
CSOCivil Society Engagement in Labour and Skills
20.518.6
ECLabour Rights
52.339.0
ECPopulation Digital Readiness
95.571.3
Trust and Safety11
APSafety and Security
72.533.8
APAccess to Redress and Remedy
63.623.2
APImpact Assessments
72.527.9
APAI-facilitated Misinformation and Violence
61.425.5
CSOCivil Society Engagement in Trust and Safety
4.413.6
ECData Protection and Privacy
83.456.4
ECData Sharing and Access
37.568.3
ECConsumer Protection
77.372.3
ECCybersecurity
100.076.8
ECRule of Law
80.048.2
ECGlobal Peace
78.168.4
AI Use in Public Service7
APPublic Sector Skills Development
9.132.0
APPublic Disclosure of Government Algorithmic Systems
61.411.1
APPublic Procurement
9.114.8
CSOGovernment Mechanisms for CSO Inclusion in AI Policy and Governance
0.020.0
ECCivil Society Oversight
87.047.9
ECPublic Service Delivery
100.076.9
ECRight to Information
80.839.6
Score adjustment
URAIUnacceptable Risk AI Systems
×0.961 government-misuse item×0.98Regional average
APAI Policy
CSOCSO Engagement
ECEnabling Conditions
Misuse Of AI

Unacceptable Risk AI Systems

Evidence related to government use of AI systems associated with unacceptable-risk categories.

Contact GIRAI
  • Mass Biometric Surveillance

    22000 Units of AI-based intelligent CCTV to be installed in Seoul

    Seoul Metropolitan Government announces that the city will install 22000 additional “intelligent CCTV” units in 2025 raising the share of AI-enabled cameras to more than half of all public CCTV and that these upgraded systems will use AI to classify objects detect “abnormal” behaviors and trigger automated alerts across parks streets and other public spaces. Because this deployment enables wide-area real-time monitoring and automated behavioral analysis in places accessible to the public it resembles the types of untargeted public-space surveillance that the EU AI Act classifies as an unacceptable risk.

    View Trusted Source

What Drives This Performance?

A breakdown of the structural factors shaping this country's score.

AI Policy

National AI strategies, laws, and oversight mechanisms that establish formal governance structures.

Contribution to overall score

51%

Civil society engagement

Participation of academia, advocacy groups, and non-state actors in shaping governance and ensuring accountability.

Contribution to overall score

3%

Enabling conditions

Institutional capacity, rule of law, digital readiness, and labour protections that enable effective governance.

Contribution to overall score

46%

  • Strongest context signal: Cybersecurity (100.0)
  • Public Service Delivery (100.0)
  • Population Digital Readiness (95.5)

Evidence for South Korea

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