AJU PRESS ASIA FIRST NEWS AGENCY

Journalist

박세진
Park Sae-jin
  • India Day Celebrated at Yeouido Hangang Park with Dance and Cuisine
    India Day Celebrated at Yeouido Hangang Park with Dance and Cuisine On May 16, under a clear blue sky and the bright sun of early summer, the aroma of rich curry, tandoori chicken, and masala wafted through Yeouido Hangang Park. Families gathered under the shade of trees, sharing spiced dishes while enjoying leisurely conversations. The park transformed into a vibrant 'Mini India' for the first India Day festival, with attendees dressed in colorful saris and lively music filling the air. Organized by the Indian Embassy and the Indian Cultural Center in Korea, this large outdoor festival is not just a one-time event. It is a tangible outcome of the agreement made during President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to India last month, aimed at enhancing cultural exchanges between the two nations. The event showcased the ongoing efforts of both countries to strengthen their special strategic partnership through cultural dialogue. The event attracted over 1,500 visitors from diverse backgrounds, showcasing the 'Unity in Diversity' of India's 28 states and 8 union territories. Attendees marveled at marble crafts from Rajasthan, watched artisans weave pashmina shawls from Kashmir, and explored local specialties. The Indian Coffee Board presented five varieties of GI-certified Arabica coffee, while the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) showcased a variety of agricultural and seafood products, tantalizing the taste buds of festival-goers. Long lines formed at food trucks as attendees eagerly awaited to sample street foods from different regions. Cultural exchange proved to be a powerful force that transcends borders and language barriers. Park Nam-seok, 40, from Gangseo-gu, attended the festival with his family after being invited by his son’s Indian friend, Swapran. “I didn’t have high expectations for the first year, but it’s larger and more organized than I thought. It’s a great festival for kids,” he said, smiling. “I tried Indian food for the first time, and it’s really delicious.” Naina, 38, originally from Bengaluru and now living in Korea, brought her American friends along. “I wanted them to experience Indian dance and food firsthand,” she said. “I’m proud to showcase India’s rich culture and cuisine, and seeing my foreign friends enjoy it makes this first event a great success.” As the afternoon heat intensified, Indian Ambassador to Korea Gaurang Lal Das delivered a speech that resonated with the attendees. He remarked, “Like the Ganges River, which has witnessed thousands of years of civilization, today, two great stories meet at the Han River, which has seen Korea’s recovery and transformation.” He declared that Yeouido Hangang Park had transformed into 'Han Ganga Park' for the day. He emphasized the power of culture to unite people in ways that politics cannot, clearly articulating the Korean phrase “We understand each other.” Kwak Young-gil, chairman of Aju News Corporation, followed with a forward-looking vision, stating, “India is one of the world’s oldest civilizations and a dynamic nation leading the AI era. Now, our two countries are opening a new era of cooperation beyond culture, into AI, semiconductors, content, and youth exchanges.” The vision of 'youth exchange' was further highlighted during the awards ceremony for the 'Korea-India Cultural Innovation Contest' (essay and video). Ambassador Das personally awarded the grand prize in the AI video category to Kim Dong-hee. The essay category winner, Sonali Ray, who submitted 'One Frame, Two Worlds,' was represented on stage by Deputy Ambassador Nishi Kant Singh, while Im Kyu-jin, president of Aju News Corporation, presented the award with a bright smile. The elegant performances by the Odissi dance troupe, the RAAS Dance Company, and K-pop group Blackswan drew the loudest cheers from the audience as the sun began to set over the Han River. However, the true finale of the festival began just after sunset. As DJ Paresh Mundade's upbeat beats filled the air, over a hundred participants of different nationalities, ages, and languages eagerly left their mats to join a massive dance party under the fading light. Koreans, Indians, and attendees from around the world danced joyfully together. As Ambassador Das noted, music needs no translation, and smiles exchanged between people require no interpretation. The evening of May 16, with the flowing waters of the Han and the exotic aroma of curry, perfectly blended with the lively Bollywood beats, created a world where hearts truly connected.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-18 08:08:38
  • First India Day transforms Seoul riverfront into Mini India
    First 'India Day' transforms Seoul riverfront into 'Mini India' SEOUL, May 17 (AJP) - On Saturday, May 16, the weekend breeze off the Han River carried the heavy scents of cumin, masala, and roasting curries. Under a cloudless early-summer sky, Mulbit Square at Yeouido Hangang Park was temporarily remade into a "Mini India." More than 1,500 people navigated the sprawling outdoor festival, where visitors in bright saris mingled alongside families setting up pop-up tents and picnic mats under the trees. Hosted by the Embassy of India and the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, the inaugural "India Day" was pitched as a cultural showcase, but its roots are diplomatic. The event was launched to support an agreement expanding bilateral exchanges, brokered last month during South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to India to strengthen the nations' Special Strategic Partnership. Organized around a "Unity in Diversity" theme, booths highlighted regional specialties from India's 28 states and eight union territories. The displays ranged from Rajasthan marble crafts to a live handloom demonstration by a Pashmina weaver from Jammu and Kashmir. For food, the Coffee Board of India poured five varieties of GI-tagged Arabica, while the Marine Products Export Development Authority served traditional Kerala seafood curries. Nearby, long lines snaked away from food trucks hawking regional street snacks. For many locals, the draw was simply a new weekend experience. Park Nam-seok, a 40-year-old resident of Gangseo-gu, came after his son was invited by an Indian friend, Swapran. "I didn't expect much since it's the first year, but the festival turned out to be much bigger and better organized than I imagined. It's a great event to come to with children," Park said. "It was my first time trying Indian food, and it was honestly really delicious." The festival also served as a gathering point for expats eager to share their heritage. Naina, a 38-year-old from Bengaluru currently living in South Korea, brought a group of American friends along. "I actually invited my American friends to come with me today. I wanted them to really feel Indian culture by eating the food and watching the dances in person," she said. "This event really lets us show how rich India is, both culturally and in terms of cuisine. I see so many foreigners here, and they all look like they're having a good time. For a first-time event, I would say it's definitely a success." The afternoon's formal programming bridged the cultural and the official. Indian Ambassador to South Korea Gaurangalal Das addressed the crowd, drawing a parallel between the Han River and his home country's most famous waterway. "The Han River has witnessed Korea's remarkable journey of resilience and transformation. Just as Ganga in India has witnessed thousands of years of civilization, culture, and human connection," the ambassador said. Using the Korean phrase "ma-eum-i tong-han-da (hearts are connected)" to describe hearts connecting, he added that "festivals like this remind us that culture has the power to bring people together in ways that rich politics, high politics cannot." AJU News Corporation Chairman Kwak Young-gil followed, outlining the economic ties binding the two nations. "India is one of the world's oldest civilizations, yet also one of the youngest and most dynamic nations leading the age of AI and advanced technology," Kwak said. "Today, our two countries are entering a new era together — an era of cooperation in AI, semiconductors, culture, content, and youth exchange." That focus on youth and tech was front and center during the Korea-India Culture & Innovation Contest awards. Ambassador Das handed the AI Video category's Grand Prize and a Korea Creative Content Agency award to Kim Dong-hee for "Flying Higher Together." AJU News Corporation President Lim Kwu-jin presented the Essay category's Grand Prize for "One Frame, Two Worlds" to Sonali Ray. With Ray currently in India, Deputy Chief of Mission Nishi Kant Singh accepted the plaque on her behalf. As the afternoon wore on, the crowd watched traditional Odissi dancers, the RAAS Dance Company, and K-pop group Blackswan. When the sun dipped below the horizon, ending the formal schedule, DJ Paresh Mundade took over the stage. Roughly a hundred attendees immediately abandoned their picnic mats and rushed the front, closing out the festival with a spontaneous dance party. 2026-05-17 16:20:32
  • South Korean government threatens emergency mediation to stop Samsung strike
    South Korean government threatens emergency mediation to stop Samsung strike SEOUL, May 17 (AJP) - The South Korean government officially raised the possibility of invoking emergency mediation powers for the first time to avert a looming general strike at Samsung Electronics. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok issued a public statement on Sunday, warning that the state would use all available legal measures if the walkout severely damages the national economy. The announcement puts maximum pressure on both management and labor ahead of a critical post-mediation meeting scheduled for May 18 at the National Labor Relations Commission. This session represents the final opportunity for both sides to reach an agreement before the planned strike begins. During his address at the Central Government Complex in Seoul, Kim emphasized the heavy responsibility resting on the negotiators. He stated that if the Samsung Electronics strike threatens to inflict massive damage on the national economy, the government will be forced to consider all options, including emergency mediation, to protect public interests. Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon attended the briefing alongside the prime minister. As the labor minister, he holds the exclusive legal authority to invoke the emergency mediation order. Under South Korean labor law, an emergency mediation order can suspend any planned strike for a mandatory thirty-day period if the labor action jeopardizes daily public life or threatens the national economy. During this freeze, the National Labor Relations Commission conducts mandatory arbitration, and it can enforce a binding settlement if an agreement cannot be reached voluntarily. The government previously maintained that it was too early to review such a drastic measure, preferring that the two sides resolve the dispute independently. However, state officials shifted their stance as industry warnings grew over potential direct and indirect economic losses reaching one hundred trillion won. Major labor organizations strongly condemned the government's announcement. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions released a statement opposing any attempts to restrict the constitutional rights of workers using economic logic, while the Federation of Korean Trade Unions criticized the potential application of emergency mediation as an inappropriate restriction on the right to strike. The high-stakes meeting on May 18 was secured after Kim Young-hoon held consecutive meetings with union leaders and management on May 15 and May 16. In a minor breakthrough, management agreed to replace its chief negotiator, Vice President Kim Hyung-ro, while the union accepted a request to let him attend the session without speaking. The Samsung Electronics union has scheduled an eighteen-day general strike from May 21 to June 7, with labor leaders expecting up to fifty thousand members to participate. The union is demanding a fixed performance bonus equal to fifteen percent of the company's operating profit, while management proposes maintaining the current system alongside uncapped special rewards. 2026-05-17 15:28:08
  • N. Korean womens football team arrives in S. Korea ahead of historic inter-Korean clash
    N. Korean women's football team arrives in S. Korea ahead of historic inter-Korean clash SEOUL, May 17 (AJP) - A North Korean women's football team arrived in South Korea on Sunday to compete in the Asian Football Confederation Women's Champions League semifinals, setting the stage for a rare and highly anticipated inter-Korean match. The Naegohyang Women's FC delegation, consisting of 27 players and 12 staff members, landed at Incheon International Airport at approximately 2:20 p.m., according to South Korea's Ministry of Unification. The team is scheduled to face off against South Korea's Suwon FC Women on Wednesday, May 20, at 7:00 p.m. The semifinal clash will take place at the Suwon Sports Complex. The North Korean arrival marks the first time a sports delegation from the North has visited South Korea in eight years, ending a drought that dates back to the International Table Tennis Federation World Tour Grand Finals in December 2018. In the realm of women's football, it is the first visit by a North Korean team in 12 years, following the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. The four-team tournament in Suwon will feature another major international matchup on Wednesday, with Australia's Melbourne City FC taking on Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza at 2:00 p.m. The finals and third-place matches are scheduled for May 23. The North Korean squad began their journey to the tournament on the morning of May 12, taking an Air Koryo flight from Pyongyang to Beijing. After holding training sessions near the North Korean Embassy in the Chinese capital, the team completed their journey to South Korea via an Air China flight on Sunday. 2026-05-17 15:07:54
  • President Lee warns proxy revenge is serious crime
    President Lee warns proxy revenge is serious crime SEOUL, May 16 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned through a social media post on Friday that both requesting and carrying out private revenge through third parties constitutes a serious criminal offense. The statement addresses a growing trend of illegal retaliation services coordinated through encrypted messaging platforms. The direct warning from the president signals an intensified government crackdown on digital-age vigilantism. Lee emphasized that modern states must maintain a monopoly on justice to prevent the breakdown of public order. "Private revenge proxy is a serious crime for both the person who requests it and the person who receives the request," the president wrote in a post on the social media platform X. The former human rights lawyer cautioned citizens against engaging in such schemes over minor personal grievances. "Should you ruin your life over something you think is trivial?" he asked. Lee noted that self-governed retribution has no place in contemporary society. He stated that in a modern civilized country, private disputes must be resolved according to the legal order. The president shared an excerpt from a security report detailing a suspected proxy revenge crime in the western port city of Incheon. Police are currently investigating the incident, which reportedly took place early Wednesday at an apartment complex. The report indicates that these crimes have proliferated since the first recorded instance in the southern city of Daegu in August 2025. Criminals typically use the messaging application Telegram to solicit and organize the acts. South Korean authorities have documented 69 such cases to date. Police have arrested 50 individuals in connection with 60 of the recorded incidents. 2026-05-16 08:00:32
  • South Koreas labor minister to meet Samsung management to avert strike
    South Korea's labor minister to meet Samsung management to avert strike SEOUL, May 16 (AJP) - In a bid to mediate a labor dispute that threatens an unprecedented general strike of Samsung Electronics workers, South Korean Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon is scheduled to meet with Samsung executives as early as Saturday. The move follows a high-level meeting between the minister and union leadership to discuss demands that could fundamentally reshape the company's compensation structure. The National Samsung Electronics Union plans to launch an 18-day strike from May 21 to June 7. Union officials expect approximately 50,000 members to participate in what would be the largest labor action in the history of the world's top memory chip maker. Minister Kim Young-hoon met with Choi Seung-ho, the chairman of the Samsung Electronics branch of the Samsung Group Supra-Enterprise Labor Union, on Friday to hear worker grievances. The union requested the government's help in replacing the company's lead negotiator, Vice President Kim Hyung-ro, and pushing for a substantial shift in management's bargaining position. Labor representatives have criticized Vice President Kim Hyung-ro for allegedly lacking a deep understanding of the semiconductor industry. They specifically pointed to his previous comments regarding the company's projected operating profit reaching 200 trillion won as evidence that he is unfit to lead the negotiations. The core of the deadlock is the union's demand for a fixed performance bonus equal to 15 percent of the company's operating profit. They are also seeking the institutionalization of a system that removes the existing upper limits on performance-based payouts. Samsung management has proposed maintaining the current bonus system while offering uncapped special rewards to allow for more flexible compensation. Despite several rounds of talks, the two sides have remained on parallel tracks without reaching a compromise. According to the Samsung Electronics corporate history, the company maintained a strict non-union policy for more than 50 years until it was officially abolished in 2020. This current escalation is viewed as a critical test for the company's evolving labor relations framework. 2026-05-16 07:24:18
  • Veteran columnist publishes book on South Korean cultural diplomacy
    Veteran columnist publishes book on South Korean cultural diplomacy SEOUL, May 16 (AJP) - Veteran South Korean columnist Choe Chong-dae has published a collection of essays spanning nearly half a century of international dialogue, chronicling South Korea's evolving global presence. The book, titled "Bridging Cultures: The Korea Times Columns of a Citizen Diplomat (1979~2025)", captures his experiences as a cultural advocate and lifelong researcher since he began writing in 1979. The volume explores diplomatic history, democratization and South Korean studies through the perspective of a participant-observer. Scholars Alok Kumar and Frank M. Tedesco, who contributed forewords to the collection, described the work as a valuable resource for understanding modern South Korean history and diplomacy. Choe's devotion to South Korean cultural identity was partly inspired by his late father, Choe Nam-ju, a pioneer of South Korean archaeology. The elder Choe participated in the excavation of the ancient Silla Golden Crown alongside the Swedish crown prince, who later became King Gustaf VI Adolf. This early connection to Sweden foreshadowed Choe's own diplomatic recognition decades later. In 2010, Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf awarded Choe the Royal Order of the Polar Star for his contributions to international relations and cultural exchange. Throughout his career, Choe has examined diplomatic relations between South Korea and numerous European nations, including Belgium, Greece, Germany and Poland. He has also focused extensively on globalizing the heritage of Gyeongju, writing about artifacts such as the Seokguram Grotto and the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok to introduce South Korean history to international readers. Beyond his media columns, Choe has pursued academic research and translation. He published a paper on humanistic egalitarianism in Donghak, South Korea's native religion, in the 2023 volume of the Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea, which included accessible English translations of its major scriptures. The new book also features his essay "Greece and Korea: A Living Dialogue Between Civilizations," originally published by AJP Press in November 2025. A 2007 column about Queen Margrethe II was also previously featured on an unofficial Danish royal message board. Following the book's release, Choe presented copies of the collection to Bruno Jans and Loukas Tsokos. The handover took place during the Europe Day 2026 reception at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul on May 8, 2026. 2026-05-16 06:56:27
  • ASIA INSIGHT: While Hormuz burns, Hong Kong ships AI revolution
    ASIA INSIGHT: While Hormuz burns, Hong Kong ships AI revolution As conflict turns the Middle East into a maritime graveyard, the Pearl River Delta is quietly monopolizing the world's most valuable supply chain. At the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals, the air carries the scent of ozone and hydraulic fluid. There are no bulk carriers of iron ore or massive tankers of crude lining the piers today. Instead, the focus is on a single, climate-controlled container being winched onto a freighter bound for the Port of Long Beach. Inside are high-density server racks and neural processing units manufactured less than thirty miles away in Shenzhen. This is the new architecture of Hong Kong’s economy—a pivot from the generalist trade of the past to the high-stakes hardware of the future. The geopolitical landscape of 2026 is defined by a brutal contraction. As the conflict involving Iran escalates, the Strait of Hormuz has essentially closed to commercial traffic, causing global energy prices to breach 120 dollars per barrel. While this has paralyzed industrial hubs in Europe and threatened the energy security of Northeast Asia, it has paradoxically accelerated a shift in Hong Kong’s economic utility. The city is no longer merely a financial outpost; it has become the primary physical gateway for the artificial intelligence supercycle, leveraging its proximity to Shenzhen to monopolize the global supply chain for advanced computing components. The numbers reveal a stark divergence from the global trend. According to the latest quarterly report from the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong, the territory’s gross domestic product expanded by 5.9 percent in the first quarter of 2026. This represents the fastest growth rate in five years. The engine of this expansion is a 24 percent real-term increase in the export of goods, a figure recently verified by the World Trade Organization’s regional monitor. This surge relies entirely on the relentless global demand for the semiconductors, precision components, and specialized circuitry produced in Shenzhen, the undisputed Silicon Valley of China. The structural importance of this regional axis becomes clear when compared to neighboring maritime giants. The Port of Shanghai remains the world’s largest by volume, handling roughly 47 million twenty-foot equivalent units annually, but its operations are heavily weighted toward bulk manufacturing and heavy industrial output. Similarly, the Port of Busan in South Korea has seen its growth stagnate at less than two percent this year, grappling with severe won-dollar currency pressure and a sharp decline in traditional automotive exports. Hong Kong has opted to cede the battle for sheer tonnage to focus on value density. Electronic components now account for 70 percent of Hong Kong’s total export value, according to data from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. This specialization provides a unique insulation against the current Middle Eastern crisis. While the closure of Hormuz has forced global shipping to reroute and caused maritime insurance premiums to spike, the astronomical margins of AI hardware absorb these logistical costs far more effectively than the low-margin commodities handled by other Asian ports. A single container of high-end graphics processing units carries a market value thousands of times greater than a container of steel or textiles. By acting as the premier outlet for Shenzhen’s technology sector, Hong Kong effectively decouples its growth from the traditional vulnerabilities currently hobbling global trade. The persistent narrative of Hong Kong’s irrelevance fundamentally misunderstands the mechanics of modern commerce. The city offers the legal, operational, and financial infrastructure required to move sensitive, high-value technology across borders during a period of intense global scrutiny, acting as a sophisticated translation layer that turns Chinese engineering into liquid capital. As long as the global arms race for computing power continues, the path to the future will lead directly through the Kwai Tsing terminals. The world order may be fracturing, but the desperate demand for the next intelligence age ensures that Victoria Harbour remains the most valuable stretch of water in Asia. 2026-05-15 14:44:00
  • ASIA INSIGHT: Crisis in South Asia, worlds petroleum wardrobe
    ASIA INSIGHT: Crisis in South Asia, world's petroleum wardrobe The conflict in the Middle East is unraveling the global garment industry, proving that fast fashion is as much a byproduct of crude oil as it is of cotton. In the industrial sprawl of Gazipur, just north of Dhaka, the looms of the world’s second-largest apparel engine are beginning to stutter. For decades, the floor managers of these vast, vertically integrated factories have calculated their margins down to the fraction of a cent. They optimized for labor, they maximized volume, and they built an empire that churns out billions of garments a year for Western retail racks. But today, the crisis halting production does not originate on the factory floor or in the cotton fields of the subcontinent. It originates thousands of miles away, in the contested waters and oil fields of the Middle East. When geopolitical friction flares in the Persian Gulf, the immediate panic in Western capitals predictably centers on crude oil and gasoline prices at the pump. This is a remarkably narrow lens. Viewed from the industrial hubs of Asia, a far more structural friction is playing out in the cargo holds and ledgers of the global apparel industry. We have conditioned ourselves to view clothing as a soft, agricultural product, spun from nature and stitched by human hands. We forget that the modern wardrobe is fundamentally a petroleum byproduct, and current geopolitical shockwaves are exposing the terminal fragility of that reliance. Ready-made garments constitute nearly 85 percent of Bangladesh's total export earnings, forming the absolute bedrock of the nation's economy. Yet the synthetic fibers required by the original equipment manufacturers that supply global athletic and fast-fashion brands—the polyesters, nylons, and elastanes that dominate modern activewear—are derived directly from petrochemicals. Polyester alone accounts for nearly 59 percent of global fiber production. As regional instability threatens the supply of essential feedstocks, the cost of these synthetic materials is surging, turning a distant standoff into a direct assault on South Asia's industrial lifeblood. A logistical nightmare compounds the squeeze on Dhaka. With crucial maritime corridors fraught with war risk, global shipping lines have rerouted vessels around the Cape of Good Hope. This geographic detour adds 20 to 25 days to transit times and has pushed freight rates for a standard container heading from Asia to Europe upward of $4,500. Factory owners are now caught in a vice. They are paying a severe premium to import the synthetic feedstock required for production, and they are bleeding capital to export the finished goods to ports in the European Union and the United States. It is tempting for Western consumers to view this as a localized economic misfortune for a developing nation. That is a naive misreading of a deeply integrated supply chain. The peril facing Bangladesh is already beginning to boomerang back to the corporate headquarters of the world’s largest fashion conglomerates. Companies that rely heavily on South Asian manufacturing have built their business models on the assumption of cheap, uninterrupted production. With an estimated 70 percent of sneaker materials alone relying on oil-based inputs, the illusion of insulated Western retail margins is collapsing under the weight of soaring energy costs, inflated shipping premiums, and delayed deliveries. This margin collapse may inadvertently trigger the very structural shift the industry has long resisted. For years, Western brands have treated sustainable practices and recycled materials as a marketing luxury rather than a supply chain necessity. But as virgin polyester becomes prohibitively expensive and logistically perilous to source, necessity is forcing a pivot. The energy shock is accelerating investments in circular manufacturing and recycled synthetics—not out of a sudden onset of corporate altruism, but as a ruthless survival mechanism to decouple their product lines from the volatility of crude oil. The era of hyper-efficient, borderless fast fashion was an anomaly subsidized by global stability and cheap petroleum. As the fault lines of the Middle East fracture the logistics and raw materials required to dress the West, the illusion of cheap clothes is unraveling. We are finally discovering the true cost of outsourcing our production to a system that shatters the moment a shipping lane closes. 2026-05-14 17:01:49
  • KITA and KOSA partner to accelerate artificial intelligence adoption in trade sector
    KITA and KOSA partner to accelerate artificial intelligence adoption in trade sector SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - The Korea International Trade Association and the Korea Artificial Intelligence and Software Industry Association signed an agreement on May 13 to accelerate artificial intelligence transformation and enhance the global competitiveness of South Korean exporters. The two organizations established the partnership at the Trade Tower in Seoul to help businesses navigate changing international trade conditions, the Korea International Trade Association said Wednesday. A recent survey conducted by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) highlighted a significant gap between the perceived importance of artificial intelligence and its actual implementation. Among 444 exporting firms surveyed between March 30 and April 10, 2026, only 17.9 percent of manufacturing companies reported using the technology in their operations. Under the new memorandum of understanding, the associations will launch a joint consultative body to facilitate business matching between member companies and foster specialized digital talent. The Korea Artificial Intelligence and Software Industry Association (KOSA) will work with KITA to organize networking events that connect export firms with software providers to identify practical technical solutions. The groups also plan to hold joint seminars and one-on-one technical consultations to share successful cases of digital transformation. These programs are designed to provide customized support for individual exporters looking to optimize supply chains and manage regulatory risks through digital integration. "From discovering overseas buyers to optimizing supply chains and predicting regulatory risks, the use of artificial intelligence in the export field is a task that can no longer be delayed," said KITA Chairman Yoon Jin-sik. KOSA Chairman Cho Jun-hee added that the joint consultative body will provide practical support to help software companies expand into the global market alongside the trade industry. 2026-05-13 14:52:35