US, South Korea Pledge Strengthened Tech Collaboration

The United States and South Korea reaffirmed a commitment to mitigate the risks in technologies including artificial intelligence, 5G networks and cloud computing, while developing an “inclusive approach” to govern their use.

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The two countries also agreed to work together to promote a “secure and trusted” flow of data across borders at the U.S.-ROK Information and Communication Technology Policy Forum hosted by the U.S. earlier this month, the Department of State said Monday.

The forum is an annual high-level dialogue between the two governments on communications and information technology policy issues, attended by senior government officials and industry representatives. This year’s delegation included the U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nathaniel Fick with representatives from six federal departments, as well as South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT Vice-Minister Park Yun-kyu with officials from two Korean agencies.

The two countries plus Japan in August already pledged deepened security ties amid worries over Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and elsewhere. Diplomats from South Korea, China and Japan agreed Tuesday to hold a summit at the “earliest convenient time,” with observers saying the summit is at least partly meant to assuage Beijing’s concerns over tightening cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo, Reuters reported.

Korea and the U.S. said governance must support the development of trustworthy AI, while preserving democratic values and human rights, highlighting the importance of responsible stewardship in a competitive and pro-innovation ecosystem. The countries “expect to cooperate to promote this vision by exploring collaboration in standardization and exchanging best practices in multilateral bodies.”

The two countries also discussed the importance of data governance and privacy protection, agreeing to work together to promote cross-border data flows.

On 5G networking, the two countries pledged to “promote trusted options for telecommunications supplier diversity” within the Indo-Pacific Region. The U.S. has long nudged allies away from relying on Chinese telecom equipment manufacturers, and in particular Shenzhen-based Huawei, which American considers a security threat. South Korea has not banned Huawei. Observers are watching closely how South Korea reacts to a Chinese ban on Micron Technology semiconductors since a policy encouraging domestic manufactures such as Samsung and SK Hynix to fill the gap could signal how closely the administration of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will align with Washington.

The U.S. and Korea also plan to share best practices on maintaining a resilient and robust cloud infrastructure, and to strengthen cooperation on research and development, people-to-people exchanges, and mutual investment to promote the growth of the cloud industry in both countries.