Why Gemini is at the center of Korean politics

Gemini, the generative artificial intelligence (AI) by Google, has become the center of Korean politics in recent days, as President Lee Jae Myung and opposition politicians used the tool to defend their logic in the debate over investigative body chiefs’ attendance at Cabinet meetings. The debate turned a dispute over investigative independence into a political contest over AI-generated responses, with high-profile opposition lawmakers citing Gemini on issues ranging from Cabinet attendance to whether Lee’s suspended criminal trials should resume. The AI use battle began when Lee posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday under the heading, “I asked Gemini,” posting the AI assistant's answers to reject criticism of his decision to have the heads of the newly launched Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) and the Prosecution Service attend Cabinet meetings. His posting came after SCIA’s inaugural chief Kim Ji-yong took part in Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, presided over by Lee. The opposition bloc criticized Kim's attendance, saying it would undermine the investigative bo