The United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) emphasized their commitment to further cooperation to enhance the digital economy during the fifth meeting of the U.S.-ROK Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy Forum on September 9, 2020.
During the virtual forum, government representatives highlighted the need to continue U.S.-ROK ICT policy coordination to encourage the growth of the two countries’ digital economies and pursue measures that reduce impediments to innovation. Participants discussed policy approaches critical to supporting: 5G security; the free flow of data; public trust in artificial intelligence (AI); emerging technologies; innovation; and the digital economy.
The United States and the ROK discussed 5G network security and committed to work together to promote international collaboration for enhancing 5G security, including at international meetings or forums in the field of 5G security. Both sides affirmed the value of developing a common approach to 5G network development, deployment, and commercialization based on the foundation of free and fair competition, transparency, and the rule of law. They also highlighted the value of R&D cooperation for enhancing 5G security and the importance of a transparent and open 5G network architecture to support security and vendor diversity.
The United States and the ROK discussed their national initiatives to enable AI innovation, highlighted their joint support for the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Recommendation on AI, and affirmed to continue working together on AI through the OECD and the Global Partnership on AI.
Both countries reaffirmed their joint support of an inclusive, open, and transparent system of Internet governance and continued support for the multi-stakeholder approach. Government officials from the two sides discussed objectives and shared information on their respective activities related to upcoming international meetings and organizations such as in the International Telecommunication Union, OECD, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and Internet Governance Forum. In addition, the importance of engaging with the private sector to promote cross-border data flows through the APEC Cross Border Privacy Rules system was recognized.
Stephen Anderson, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Communications and Information Policy led the U.S. delegation, which included officials representing the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Federal Communications Commission. Director General Jung Hee-kwon of the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) led the ROK delegation, which included officials representing MSIT, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute.
Read the announcement at the Department of State
