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Korea, U.S. sign MOU focused on 'technological sovereignty'

Published: 29 Oct. 2025, 18:19

Ha Jung-woo, senior presidential secretary for AI future strategy, speaks during a press conference at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul on Oct. 1. [NEWS1]

Korea and the United States have agreed to strengthen cooperation on exporting AI technologies across the full stack — from foundational research to applications — as part of a joint initiative announced during a Korea-U.S. summit held on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on Wednesday that the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) titled the “Korea-U.S. Technology Prosperity Deal” at the Gyeongju Arts Center, where APEC-related events are taking place.

The signing ceremony was attended by Ha Jung-woo, the senior presidential secretary for AI future strategy; Bae Kyung-hoon, the vice prime minister and science minister; and Michael Kratsios, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The MOU outlines cooperation in two main areas: accelerating AI applications and innovation, and establishing trustworthy technology leadership. The goal is to strengthen full-spectrum technology collaboration and elevate the Korea-U.S. alliance.

Key initiatives include jointly developing innovation-friendly AI policy frameworks and collaborating on the export of full-stack AI technologies. The two sides also agreed to work together on dataset development and the promotion of safe AI-driven innovation.

Beyond AI, the two countries pledged to deepen cooperation in other strategic areas, including next-generation telecommunications, pharmaceutical and biotech supply chains, quantum innovation and space exploration.

“This MOU will allow Korea and the United States to grow technological sovereignty together, grounded in people-centered and inclusive AI and private sector-driven innovation,” said Ha. “In particular, cooperation in AI R&D and full-stack AI exports will serve as a key platform for Korea to become a top three AI powerhouse.”

“This MOU symbolizes a partnership for the prosperity of future generations,” said Bae. “It strengthens our solidarity through science and technology and builds on previous MOUs signed with BlackRock and OpenAI to expand the Korea-U.S. AI ecosystem. We expect this to further boost bilateral exchanges and investments.”

The two countries plan to convene next year at the next Korea-U.S. joint committee on science and technology cooperation in Washington to develop more concrete plans.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KANG KWANG-WOO [[email protected]]