Ministry of Science and ICT Establishes Foundation for Technology Cooperation at OECD Science and Technology Ministers Meeting

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 25th that First Vice Minister Lee Chang-yoon attended the OECD Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting held in Paris, France, on the 23rd and 24th (local time).

Lee Chang-yoon, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, is seated at the OECD Science and Technology Ministers Meeting held in Paris, France, on the 23rd (local time). Photo by Ministry of Science and ICT

At this ministers' meeting, held for the first time in nine years since 2015 in Daejeon, over 50 countries gathered to discuss the direction of science and technology policies for the next decade under the theme of "Transformative Science and Technology Innovation Policies for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future." The Ministry of Science and ICT also stated that a "Science and Technology Ministers' Declaration" was adopted to jointly address global issues and emerging technology challenges.

Korea, as the chair country of the OECD Science and Technology Policy Committee and the host of the previous ministers' meeting, presided over the working lunch meeting and served as the chair of the subcommittee meetings. Vice Minister Lee participated as the chair of the subcommittee discussion on "R&D Investment Directions for Climate Response," emphasizing government and private sector cooperation in R&D investment for climate change response. He also co-hosted a working lunch meeting on "Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Science and Technology Innovation" with Austria, highlighting the government's crucial role in AI innovation, safety, and equitable benefit sharing.

Vice Minister Lee held bilateral talks with ministers and vice ministers from European countries such as Norway and the United Kingdom to discuss cooperation directions following Korea's accession as an associate member to Horizon Europe. He also met with representatives from the United States and Japan to discuss follow-up measures and additional cooperation items after the Korea-US-Japan Camp David summit.

Vice Minister Lee said, "Through this OECD Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting, we have laid the groundwork for Korea to lead global science and technology innovation," adding, "We will actively participate in newly launched OECD joint research projects to enhance the international status of Korea's science and technology policies."