Regulatory Governance, Artificial Intelligence, and Higher EducationTransformation: A Comparative Institutional Analysis of the European Union andSouth Korea

Abstract

The rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within higher education has generated profound
governance challenges involving regulatory legitimacy, institutional accountability, educational equity, and
economic transformation. While governments increasingly promote AI-driven educational innovation to
enhance human capital competitiveness, regulatory responses remain institutionally fragmented across
jurisdictions. This study comparatively examines the governance and legal regulation of AI in higher
education within the European Union and South Korea, focusing on how divergent regulatory models shape
institutional accountability, educational quality, and economic development outcomes. Drawing upon
comparative institutional analysis and socio-legal governance theory, the article analyzes AI regulatory
frameworks, higher education governance structures, ministerial policy instruments, digital education
reforms, and innovation strategies between 2020 and 2026. Empirical evidence is derived from EU AI
governance legislation, South Korean digital education policies, OECD and UNESCO reports, national higher
education strategies, and institutional governance indicators. The findings indicate that the European Union
prioritizes rights-based regulatory governance emphasizing ethical accountability and institutional
compliance, whereas South Korea adopts a developmental-technocratic governance model centered on
innovation acceleration and national competitiveness. The comparison reveals that regulatory coherence,
inter-institutional coordination, and legal adaptability significantly influence educational resilience and
human capital development. This study contributes to interdisciplinary scholarship by integrating legal
governance analysis with educational policy and economic development theory. It further proposes a
governance-development framework demonstrating how AI regulatory capacity mediates institutional
transformation in higher education and shapes long-term economic resilience within knowledge-based
economies.