Ministry of the Interior and Safety headquarters at Government Complex Sejong

A cohort of 15 central and local government officials from Sri Lanka arrived in Korea for an intensive 10-day capacity-building program aimed at accelerating public-sector innovation and digital transformation.

The initiative, which runs through May 27, is organized by the Local Government Officials Development Institute (LOGODI) — an arm of Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety — in partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency, the nation’s overseas aid bureau.

The program, titled “Civil Servant Capacity Building for Government Innovation in Sri Lanka,” marks the third and final phase of a multiyear international training project. Launched in 2024 at the request of Colombo, the initiative is designed to support a sweeping national development strategy that Sri Lanka has pursued since 2020.

This year’s curriculum focuses heavily on modernization, covering local government innovation, anti-corruption frameworks, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into public services. To see these concepts in action, the Sri Lankan delegation will visit Wanju County Office, Suwon City Hall and the Smart City Integrated Center in Anyang to benchmark how data-driven technologies can streamline civic administration.

The coursework pairs theoretical instruction with practical applications. A module on local governance will detail Korea’s historical shift toward citizen-participatory policymaking, while an interactive AI track will explore how generative artificial intelligence can enhance day-to-day administrative efficiency.

Because this cycle concludes the three-year project, organizers said the focus has shifted toward execution. Participants will review the implementation of action plans drafted during previous sessions, using expert consultations to ensure the reforms yield concrete outcomes at home.

The workshop is part of a broader, decades-long effort by Seoul to export its administrative expertise. Since 1996, LOGODI has trained roughly 7,000 foreign officials from 89 countries. Later this year, the institute plans to host similar local administration courses for senior officials from developing economies, including India, Egypt and Peru.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

Source: Korea Times News