Negotiations with NVIDIA for Securing Advanced GPUs
Science and ICT Minister Sangim Yoo, who is currently visiting the United States, has decided to strengthen cooperation between South Korea and the United States in response to telecom hacks that pose a global threat, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT on the 18th.
The Ministry of Science and ICT reported that on the 14th, Minister Yoo met with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr and agreed on the need to strengthen international cooperation, as telecom hacking has become a worldwide threat.
Science and ICT Minister Sangim Yoo is delivering a congratulatory speech at the Korea AI Policy Forum held on the 9th at the Sapphire Ballroom of Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
The two sides shared updates on the hacking of SK Telecom in South Korea, as well as the hacking of major telecom infrastructure worldwide, including U.S. telecom companies, by the Chinese hacker group "Volt Typhoon." They also discussed response strategies.
They discussed South Korea's "Internet of Things (IoT) Security Certification System" and the U.S. FCC's "Cyber Trust Mark," and agreed on the need to share IoT security standards so that IoT companies from both countries can reduce the burden of duplicate certification in each other's markets.
Minister Yoo also learned about the direction of strengthening the security of U.S. submarine communication cables and discussed bilateral cooperation on submarine cable security. In addition, Minister Yoo communicated with stakeholders regarding concerns over Korea-U.S. research cooperation, which have arisen due to the recent designation of sensitive countries and the reduction of U.S. research and development (R&D) budgets.
On the 15th, Minister Yoo met with Lynne Parker, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), to discuss ways to ensure uninterrupted cooperation in science and technology between South Korea and the United States. The OSTP side shared that the investment priorities of the second Trump administration are artificial intelligence (AI), quantum, bio, IT, nuclear, and technology commercialization, and that they are pursuing changes in R&D policy based on these priorities.
Minister Yoo also explained that the importance of research security is increasing due to the designation of sensitive countries and requested mutual cooperation. The United States stated that it would implement measures based on the "Presidential Memorandum on Research Security" announced during the first Trump administration.
Minister Yoo then met with Rebecca Keiser, Acting Chief of the Office of International Science and Engineering at the National Science Foundation, and Jessica Robin, Acting Director of the Office of International Science and Engineering, to discuss cooperation on joint Korea-U.S. research and research security.
A virtual meeting was also arranged with Young-Kee Kim, Director of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) under the Department of Energy. Director Kim introduced the "Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE)" project, which involves more than 35 countries, as a good example of international cooperation, and emphasized the importance and necessity of research collaboration in basic science using large research facilities such as particle physics.
Minister Yoo also met with Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), to exchange views on the importance of research security. In addition, he visited Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), a national laboratory under the Department of Energy, to meet with Director Kimberly Budil and tour laser fusion facilities.
Meanwhile, Minister Yoo visited the U.S. headquarters of NVIDIA and met with Executive Vice President Jay Puri and Vice President Calista Redmond to discuss ways to strengthen the capabilities of Korea's AI ecosystem through cooperation. The National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), which is responsible for establishing the National AI Computing Center, signed a memorandum of understanding with NVIDIA for the smooth introduction of advanced graphics processing units (GPUs) into South Korea.
Minister Yoo emphasized, "Since the largest portion of Korea's global joint research investment is with the United States, it is important to quickly understand and respond to the impact of the second Trump administration's changed R&D policy direction and strengthened research security policies on Korea's R&D."
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