NIA Launches 'Digital ESG Council' with IT Companies to Support AI and Digital Utilization

Activities to Enhance Digital Inclusion
"Establishing as a Hub Connecting Citizens and Companies for ESG"

The Digital ESG Council, composed of the National Information Society Agency (NIA) and major digital companies, held its launch ceremony on the 5th at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul.

The council has been operating since September last year to collaborate on digital ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) activities among NIA, telecommunications companies, and global IT firms. Last year, they jointly promoted activities such as an AI ethics idea contest, AI ethics education cooperation, and the global expansion of the digital new order to contribute to creating a safe digital environment.

This year, the council expanded its composition to include fields closely related to the daily lives of citizens where digital transformation is active. The scope of cooperation will also broaden to activities aimed at enhancing social inclusiveness, such as supporting AI and digital utilization capabilities, ensuring accessibility, and preventing dysfunctions.

To this end, 13 additional institutions and companies representing various sectors joined the existing council of six institutions and companies, making a total of 19 institutions and companies expected to collaborate closely to carry out diverse activities that citizens can directly experience.

The participating institutions and companies in the Digital ESG Council are NIA, NHN, Woowa Brothers, Genesis Lab, Kakao, TwoArt, Microsoft Korea, IBM Korea, SK Telecom, LG Uplus, KT, SR, Korea Railroad Corporation, Shinhan Bank, Kyobo Education Foundation, Connecting the Dots, BGF Retail, E-Mart, and Samsung Electronics, totaling 19 organizations.

At the launch ceremony, the council shared this year’s operational plans and held a declaration ceremony pledging to practice digital ESG cooperation. Participating companies and institutions vowed to communicate more closely with the public through council activities and to unite their efforts in digital ESG activities that citizens can feel.

In particular, this year, the council plans to focus on cooperation in △ strengthening AI and digital utilization capabilities △ operating testbeds for new technologies and services △ promoting nationwide digital culture campaigns, aiming to discover exemplary cases of ESG activities based on digital technology.

Hwang Jong-seong, President of NIA, stated, "It is highly meaningful that various institutions closely related to citizens’ lives have come together to realize social value through digital means," and added, "We will actively support the Digital ESG Council to establish itself as a hub connecting citizens and corporate ESG activities."