Washington: Senior officials from South Korea and the United States have engaged in discussions to enhance cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) supply chains and broader bilateral economic relations, as confirmed by Seoul's foreign ministry on Thursday. The meeting was held between South Korea's Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg in Washington on Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the talks were part of Kim's visit to the United States to attend the second Pax Silica Summit, a platform designed to foster collaboration among 18 countries, including South Korea, Japan, Britain, and Australia. The discussions emphasized the importance of cooperation among trusted partners to ensure stable supply chains in AI, digital technologies, and other advanced industries. Both parties agreed to continue exploring ways to enhance their manufacturing capabilities through the summit and other frameworks.
During the meeting, Kim detailed Seoul's initiatives to promote strategic investment projects in the United States and called for ongoing consultations to facilitate progress in the shipbuilding sector. The two sides concurred on the necessity of holding the vice-ministerial Senior Economic Dialogue (SED) later this year to continue discussions on supply chains and to deepen their strategic economic partnership.
The Pax Silica Summit, initiated by the U.S. State Department, serves as a consultative platform for building resilient AI supply chains. The second meeting of this summit is scheduled to take place in Washington on Thursday and Friday, further highlighting the commitment of the involved nations to strengthen their economic ties.