South Korea, US discuss cooperation in AI, science

Seoul, Aug 5
South Korea and the United States held talks on Tuesday on ways to broaden ties in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector ahead of an upcoming bilateral summit, the science ministry said.

Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon met with Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), in Incheon, west of Seoul, to explore opportunities for expanding cooperation in the area, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 2025 Digital and AI Ministerial Meeting, reports Yonhap news agency.

During the talks, Bae expressed hope for developing a joint bilateral initiative on strategic technology, building on momentum from the upcoming summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The two officials also discussed a wide range of other issues, including strategic technologies in the biotechnology and next-generation nuclear energy sectors, the ministry said.

Bae proposed holding a joint committee meeting on science and technology at an early date to exchange detailed plans, the ministry added.

South Korea's science ministry hosted a forum with the World Bank on Tuesday to discuss ways to build a more inclusive global community based on digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

The forum, held in Incheon, west of Seoul, aimed to promote global cooperation for an innovative future and to explore areas of collaboration between the World Bank and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.

"We hope various stakeholders with different interests in the global community will closely coordinate to build the future of the digital and AI sectors together," Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon said during the event.

Kim Sang-bu, vice president of the World Bank for digital strategy, expressed hope for closer cooperation between the World Bank and APEC to utilize AI as a growth engine for a more inclusive society.

On the previous day, the ministry hosted a separate ministerial meeting among APEC member economies to discuss cooperation in the AI industry.

The series of events comes ahead of the APEC summit scheduled for Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 in South Korea's southeastern city of Gyeongju, about 275 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

The summit is expected to draw around 20,000 participants from around the world, including approximately 3,500 government delegates from the 21 APEC member economies.