Defense officials from South Korea, Japan, and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to trilateral cooperation, emphasizing its vital role in ensuring regional peace and stability. This comes as South Korea also unveiled detailed plans to bolster cooperation with African nations in artificial intelligence and digital technologies during the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) meeting in Seoul.
The KOAFEC meeting, attended by ministerial-level delegations from 45 African countries, focused on initiatives like the K-AI Package. This package aims to provide AI solutions, data centers, and power infrastructure, leveraging South Korea's development experience. Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol highlighted Seoul's unique position to assist Africa in AI advancement, drawing a distinction with other international partners.
Discussions also covered applying AI to public services, building digital and power infrastructure, and supporting Africa's agriculture and healthcare sectors. A joint declaration was adopted, pledging continued cooperation, with a specific focus on digital infrastructure. Furthermore, South Korea and the African Development Bank Group signed a letter of intent to establish the Korea-Africa AI Hub, designed to combine Seoul's AI capabilities with the bank's networks. The establishment of an AI education institution in Tanzania has been identified as the inaugural project under the K-AI Package.
