TLDR: The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is set to introduce its own generative artificial intelligence system, ‘MOFAI,’ starting with a pilot operation in November 2025. This marks the first time a government ministry under the Lee Jae-myung administration, which advocates for an ‘AI Government,’ has developed and implemented its own AI for practical work. MOFAI, a portmanteau of MOFA and AI, will initially focus on automating the collection and summarization of diplomatic documents and report writing, aiming to reduce diplomats’ work hours by approximately 40%. The system will evolve to support policy decisions and eventually expand to public services.
Seoul, South Korea – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of South Korea is poised to revolutionize its operational efficiency with the pilot introduction of its proprietary generative artificial intelligence (AI) system, ‘MOFAI,’ in November 2025. This initiative positions MOFA as the first government ministry within the Lee Jae-myung administration to independently develop and deploy an AI solution for practical work, aligning with the government’s vision of an ‘AI Government.’
According to MOFA officials on August 31, ‘MOFAI’ – a blend of the ministry’s English acronym (MOFA) and AI – will initially be applied to the critical tasks of collecting and summarizing diplomatic documents and drafting reports. The ministry anticipates that the integration of MOFAI will significantly streamline these processes, potentially cutting down the time diplomats spend on gathering and analyzing scattered electronic documents by approximately 40%. This efficiency gain is expected to free up diplomats to concentrate more on creative endeavors, such as external networking.
The system has successfully completed its first phase of development, establishing a large language model (LLM) designed for ‘work support.’ Looking ahead, the ministry plans to roll out a second phase in 2026, which will incorporate ‘policy decision support’ functionalities. A third phase is also envisioned to expand MOFAI’s capabilities to include public services.
The initial pilot operation will commence in November within select MOFA departments. Due to security considerations, its use will be restricted to these limited departments during the early stages. Following a period of collecting and integrating feedback from staff, MOFAI is slated for a full-scale rollout across all departments by January 2026.
MOFAI operates similarly to ChatGPT, utilizing a question-and-answer format. Its core functions will involve processing various diplomatic documents, including official cables, confidential consultation papers, and trend reports. The system is designed to support 8 languages initially, with plans for expansion to 23 languages in the future. Its training with specialized diplomatic terminology will enable it to analyze foreign documents and assist in drafting multilingual speeches.
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The second-stage MOFAI, expected next year, will evolve into a strategic AI, capable of analyzing diplomatic trends to propose strategies, build personnel networks, and even generate ‘talking points’ for discussions. Furthermore, it will be equipped with a false information detection feature, enhancing the reliability of diplomatic communications.
