Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon speaks during a presentation event for the national AI foundation model project at Coex in southern Seoul, Dec. 30, 2025. Yonhap
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon will attend the upcoming India AI Impact Summit 2026, slated to run from Monday through Feb. 20 in New Delhi, leading the Korean government delegation.
The summit is expected to serve as a high-level platform that gathers representatives from about 100 countries, as well as industry and academic leaders, to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) governance and its social impact.
This year’s event will be the fourth summit, and it is especially meaningful as it will be hosted for the first time in a developing nation.
During the event, Bae plans to emphasize the importance of global cooperation to ensure that advances in AI technology translate into shared prosperity for humanity, underscoring Korea’s intent to play a leading role.
He will also present on the country’s experience in digital transformation across sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing and education; its strength in semiconductors and digital infrastructure; and its policy experience with the recently-implemented revised AI basic law.
“The India AI Impact Summit will serve as a key opportunity for Korea to move beyond its role as a simple technology powerhouse and deepen its capabilities and partnerships to lead in global AI governance, building on the past Seoul summit and the APEC AI initiative,” the minister said.
“It is also significant in that it expands Korea’s ‘AI diplomacy’ engagement with global south countries," he noted.
The term global south refers to a wide group of economically disadvantaged nations across North and South America, Asia, Africa and other regions.
On the sidelines, Bae plans to meet with officials from the United States and other major countries, as well as executives from global AI companies, to explore joint initiatives, focusing on practical and technical cooperation based on Korea’s strength in semiconductors and digital infrastructure.
Source: Korea Times News
