Sam Heum Yeon (연삼흠), Ph.D., President of the Korea AI Trust Association (KAITRUST, 한국인공지능진흥협회), obtained two Vocational Training Instructor (직업능력개발훈련교사) certificates on October 8, 2026. One covers artificial intelligence at Level 3 (No. 교사3급-제112923호), the other blockchain at Level 3 (No. 교사3급-제112922호). The Head of the Seoul Southern Branch of the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office, under the Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부), issued both.
 [The Korean Today] Vocational Training Instructor certificate, Level 3 (AI), issued to Sam Heum Yeon © The Korean Today Editorial Desk |
The legal footing sits in Article 33 of the National Lifelong Vocational Skills Development Act (국민 평생 직업능력 개발법), Article 28(4) of its Enforcement Decree, and Article 16(3) of its Enforcement Rule. The certificate is a national qualification issued by the Ministry to those who meet the field-specific career and qualification requirements set out in Table 2 of the Enforcement Decree. Holders may teach at public vocational training facilities operated by local governments, and at private facilities approved by the Minister of Employment and Labor.
Yeon had earlier obtained Level 3 certificates in Information Technology Development (2021) and Lifelong Vocational Education (2022). His Information Technology Development qualification has now been converted to the Blockchain field, and Artificial Intelligence is a new addition. He therefore holds instructor certification in three fields: artificial intelligence, blockchain and lifelong vocational education.
The change in field has a specific legal basis. On May 11, 2022 the Ministry of Employment and Labor revised the Standards for Vocational Training Instructor Qualifications (MOEL Notice No. 2022-42), establishing artificial intelligence (20-9) and blockchain (20-10) as stand-alone instructor fields within the information and communications category. Article 4 of the notice’s addenda moved the AI- and blockchain-related career categories out of the former Information Technology Development field into the new fields, and allowed existing holders to convert their field on application with supporting career records. Yeon’s blockchain certificate is a conversion under that provision; the AI certificate is a new award.
That combination of fields maps onto what KAITRUST says it exists to do. The association is a non-profit established under Article 32 of the Civil Act of Korea, and its stated purposes include “training AI professionals and creating jobs”. Instructor certification in artificial intelligence and blockchain gives those purposes a concrete footing: the association now has a certified instructor who may teach within the state-recognized training system.
 [The Korean Today] Vocational Training Instructor certificate, Level 3 (Blockchain), issued to Sam Heum Yeon © The Korean Today Editorial Desk |
Organizations led by Yeon have already run the format twice. The AI Executive Program (AI 최고위 과정) launched its first cohort with the World Certification Industry Association (WIA, 세계인증산업협회) as host, ran about two months, and held its completion ceremony on October 26, 2024 in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Graduates received the Certified AI Manager (CAM) Level 1 credential. The curriculum was hands-on, built around tools such as AWS and VS Code rather than lecture slides alone. The second cohort completed in December 2024, drawing serving civil servants, graduate researchers, small-business owners, lecturers and retired public officials.
Yeon holds several other roles, which bear on how this report should be read. He is President of the Korea Blockchain Industry Association (KBCIA), Chief Executive Officer of SmileStory Inc., and Publisher of The Korean Today, the outlet carrying this article.
On the certificates, Yeon said: “A certificate is only a starting point. I will prove it by running programs and developing people.”
The next checkable step is already scheduled. KAITRUST organizes the third AI Executive Program, which opens on October 17, 2026 and runs for ten sessions. CAM Level 2 and Level 1 examinations take place during the program. Final presentations and the completion ceremony fall on December 19, 2026. Whether the association pairs the new instructor status with registration at a state-recognized training facility, and who enrolls in the third cohort, will be visible from October 17.
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