South Korea presents a new digital order to the world!

Summary- The "Digital Bill of Rights," crystallizing President Yoon's digital vision, is announced as the manifesto for a universal digital order.- This announcement is a comprehensive result derived from many global discussions, from the New York Initiative in September 2022 and the Davos Forum, to lectures at Harvard University and Sorbonne University, and public conversations integrating diverse input from scholars, the younger generation, and more.- Values and five principles for a digital community of mutual prosperity that global citizens should collectively embrace are announced.   ​The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong Ho, hereinafter referred to as "MSIT") announced on September 25th (Mon.) that the "Digital Bill of Rights" will now be formally reported, with its full contents disclosed for the first time, at the cabinet meeting chaired by President Yoon Suk Yeol.   President Yoon Suk Yeol, starting with the New York Initiative in September 2022, engaged in continuous discussions on a "new digital order" with scholars and business leaders around the world by participating in a number of international events, such as the Davos Forum, lectures at Harvard University and Paris-Sorbonne University, the G20 Summit, and the United Nations General Assembly. In particular, at the recent "Digital Vision Forum" held at New York University, the President presented the five basic principles of the "Digital Bill of Rights" in his keynote speech.   MSIT has been actively supporting the establishment of the "Digital Bill of Rights," which will in turn set out the foundation for the establishment of a "new digital order," in line with the President's digital vision. After the New York Initiative last year, MSIT organized a body of experts and representatives from various sectors to drive the formulation process and conducted many activities, namely: 1) Drafting a foresight of future digital society, 2) Provision of advice on legal and philosophical matters, 3) Case studies of important digital charters and declarations made overseas, and 4) Analysis of digital issues with currency. Moreover, MSIT has led public conversation by operating the "Council for a New Digital Order," and a series of roundtables which invited a diverse range of stakeholders, such as university presidents, major academic societies, and CEOs, to listen to different voices coming from different parts of our society.   The "Digital Bill of Rights" released today is a charter codifying nation-level standards and principles to synchronize with this era of deepening digitalization, as well as outlining the basic direction for universal digital order for guiding the international community. It consists of a preamble, which lays out the background and objectives of the document, and the main text, a total of 6 chapters and 28 articles.   The "Digital Bill of Rights" sets forth a blueprint of a digital society of mutual prosperity, in which the pursuit for digital innovation comes with just and fair distribution of its benefits. To achieve this exemplary vision of how future society should be shaped together with all members of the international community, the "Digital Bill of Rights" defines principles for action. However, based on the feedback from academia that the nomenclature "Bill of Rights" does not adequately reflect the nature of this document, "Charter on the Values and Principles for a Digital Society of Mutual Prosperity" is formally adopted as the title, and "Digital Bill of Rights" will be kept in use as the official subtitle and abbreviation.   The "Digital Bill of Rights" reflects globally shared values while highlighting our own distinctiveness by incorporating experiences and philosophies surrounding digital innovation specific to Korea. Unlike discussions held elsewhere that centers around artificial intelligence (AI), it encompasses a broad spectrum of digital issues, such as literacy and addressing disparities. Furthermore, it goes beyond ethical and normative discussions to emphasize the role of digital innovation by stipulating distinguished principles and rights, for example, the promotion of the well-being of humankind through international solidarity and cooperation.   In the first chapter, the Bill defines the fundamental principles for realizing a "Digital Society of Mutual Prosperity." These principles regard five aspects: 1) Guarantee of freedom and rights in digital environment, 2) Guarantee of fair access to and equitable opportunities in the digital, 3) Building a safe and trustworthy digital society, 4) Promotion of digital innovation based on autonomy and creativity, and 5) Advancement of the well-being for all humankind. From Chapter 2 to Chapter 6, the Bill defines the universal rights of citizens and the responsibilities of different entities (the state, the private sector, and the civil society) in form of more detailed subprinciples, in order to implement the five fundamental principles dealt in Chapter 1.   The provisions included in Chapter 2, "Guarantee of freedom and rights in digital environment" are as follows: "Guarantee of digital accessibility," for example, equitable access to kiosks and other digital services for everyone, "Guarantee of access and control over personal information," for example, securing rights to access, revise, delete, and transfer of one's own personal information, and "Guarantee of digital worker's rights," related to platform labor and remote work.   The provisions included in Chapter 3, "Guarantee of fair access to and equitable opportunities in the digital" are as follows: "Protection of digital properties," which means that properties in digital forms, such as data and contents, deserve legal and policy-level protection, and "Enhancement of digital literacy" to resolve digital disparities.   The provisions included in Chapter 4, "Building a safe and trustworthy digital society," an underlying premise to the digital society of mutual prosperity, are as follows: "Response system to digital threats," which requires that digital threats be managed through systematic structures, and "ethical development and utilization of digital technologies."   The provisions included in Chapter 5, "Promotion of digital innovation based on autonomy and creativity" are as follows: "Revision of regulatory framework" to dismantle outdated regulations that do not fit with digital environment, and "Support for digital innovation," such as cultivation of expert workforce and research and development (R&D) investment.   Finally, the provisions included in Chapter 6, "Advancement of the well-being for all humankind" are designed to correspond to the connectivity and immediacy of digital technologies' international facet. In detail, it is stipulated that the international community must put concerted effort for "the establishment of international digital norms" and "resolution of digital disparities between nations."   The government plans to use the "Digital Bill of Rights" as a standard to address the challenges in the era of deepening digitalization, and to revise specific existing laws and regulations. In particular, MSIT will support the smooth amendment of new legislations in preparation for the coming digital era, such as "AI Act" and "Digital Inclusivity Act." MSIT will also support in adjusting policies and institutions across relevant ministries in accordance with the "Digital Bill of Rights" through the execution of the "Deepening Digitalization Response Survey."   Additionally, the government will keep its effort to take a leading role in global discussions for the establishment of digital norms, in this situation where the global competition for securing normative leadership in AI and the digital is fierce. By actively participating in discussion on AI and digital norms and governance with international organizations* such as UN and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United States, and the United Kingdom, the government will incorporate contents of the "Digital Bill of Rights" in the international discourse. * UN Global Digital Compact (GDC) Asia-Pacific regional meeting (October 16-17, South Korea), OECD Digital Rights Workshop (November 6)   Minister Lee Jong Ho of Science and ICT stated that, "Korea's announcement of the "Digital Bill of Rights" is an expression of confidence that we could proudly present to the world the global-level normative order." He further stated, "MSIT is committed to setting the global normative order in the digital age. Just as the United Kingdom was in the Industrial Revolution and the United States in the Information Revolution, Korea will strive to become a pioneering nation in the era of deepening digitalization."     For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT. ​​​Please refer to the attached PDF.  

A New Order for a New Era of Deepening Digitalization Presented!

Summary - President Yoon announces 5 fundamental principles of the "Digital Bill of Rights" at the "Digital Vision Forum," held at NYU, developed through global efforts that had started from the New York Initiative in September 2022.- Through signing of the "RoK-US AI and Digital Business Partnership" MoU, domestic AI and digital enterprises will be provided with business opportunities, while researchers will be offered opportunities for world-class research and capacity building.- Prominent figures from the US, including NYU President, NYC Deputy Mayor, and US NSF Director, along with Prof. Yann LeCun, a global leader in AI scholarship, and Mark Lippert, the former US Ambassador attended in the Forum.   The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong Ho, hereinafter referred to as "MSIT") announced that President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the "Digital Vision Forum" held at New York University (hereinafter referred to as "NYU") on September 21st, local time in the United States. At the Forum, President Yoon presented a comprehensive summary of international discussions over the past year, from the New York Initiative (September 2022) to the Davos Forum, meetings at Harvard University and Paris-Sorbonne University, and the recent G20 Summit and the United Nations General Assembly. The key contents of the "Digital Bill of Rights" were revealed in his presentation, which will play its role as a fundamental guideline for a new digital order.   New York University, where the Forum was held, is located in the New York City, world's startup hub right after Silicon Valley, and has witnessed its rich history of growth. NYU is a prestigious university, particularly renowned for its global reputation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), and has been producing outstanding talents including 38 Novel laureates and 8 Turing Award winners.   The Forum was attended by President Yoon Suk Yeol, along with key officials from the US: Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor of New York City for Housing and Economic Development, Sethuraman Panchanathan, the Director of US National Science Foundation (NSF), New York State Assembly Members Clyde Vanel and Ron Kim, and many more. The Forum was hosted by Mark Lippert, the former US Ambassador to South Korea, for the second consecutive year. His presence underscored the robust partnership between two countries.   In addition, the forum featured several prominent figures in academia, including Linda G. Mills, President of New York University, and Yann LeCun, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NYU. Prof. LeCun is a winner of the Turing Award, which is popularly known as "the Novel Prize of computer sciences," and often considered as one of the four global AI giants. Cho Kyunghyun, Professor of Computer Science and Data Science at NYU, who was tenured within 4 years of service based on his outstanding research contributions, and S. Matthew Liao, Professor of Bioethics and the Director of the Center for Bioethics at NYU were also among the distinguished at the event.   In his keynote speech at the Forum, President Yoon Suk Yeol outlined the five fundamental principles of the "Digital Bill of Rights," which will be the basic direction for "a new digital order." These principles encompass: 1) Ensuring of freedom and rights in the digital environment, 2) Promotion of fair access to and opportunities in the digital, 3) Establishment of a safe and trustworthy digital society, 4) Fostering a digital innovation based on autonomy and creativity, and 5) Enhancement of well-being for all humans. President Yoon revealed his plan that the full text of the "Digital Bill of Rights" be disclosed soon.   Deputy Mayor Maria-Torres Springer and Director Sethuraman Panchanathan expressed their support for President Yoon Suk Yeol's keynote speech, and emphasized the importance of the close cooperation between Korea and the US in the field of AI and digital. Charles Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader of Democratic Party, delivered a video message to show gratitude for President Yoon Suk Yeol's commitment to establishing a global digital order, and to congratulate the Forum's organization.   Moreover, three Korean organizations, namely IITP, KAIST, and KOSA, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NYU called the "AI and Digital Business Partnership." This MoU aims to strengthen the parties’ mutual assistance in research and development (R&D), human resource development, technology commercialization and other areas in the fields of AI and digital.   In celebration of this occasion, NYU Professor Yann LeCun and KOSA President Cho Joon-hee gave presentations on next-generation AI R&D directions and cooperation strategies such as identification of promising AI and digital enterprises, respectively, and altogether highlighted that this partnership would provide a pivotal opportunity to enhance the capabilities of emerging digital businesses and researchers.   President Yoon also stated that this signing of MoU would become the steppingstone for solidifying AI and digital cooperation between Korea and NYU.   Following the conclusion of the forum, the "Global AI and Digital Conference," was co-hosted by NYU and KAIST, where international scholars discussed the diagnosis of the future of AI and a global digital order. With participation of authoritative figures in the scholarly world, including Professor Luciano Floridi at Yale University, the Founding Director of the Digital Ethics Center, and Professor Ye Jong Chul at KAIST, an international expert in biomedical AI imaging, not to mention Yann LeCun, a passionate conversation on AI ethics took place.   Minister Lee Jong Ho expressed, "The Digital Vision Forum, with presentation of the Digital Bill of Rights, served as an opportunity for Korea to secure its leadership in the establishment of global digital norms, through suggesting tangible principles for a new digital order."   He further stated that, "It was meaningful that the Forum also served as a platform for digital enterprises and researchers from both Korea and the US to actively collaborate in the international digital startup hub, the New York City."   MSIT plans prompt announcement of the "Digital Bill of Rights" in form of a charter, which reflects President Yoon's digital vision. Building on this milestone, MSIT will actively engage in global discussion on digital order and norms with key stakeholders, such as UN, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the US, and the United Kingdom, while continuously working on the establishment of digital norms for different sectors in society.     For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT. ​​​Please refer to the attached PDF.    

The Science and Technology Diplomacy Forum kicks off, shaping the future of global cooperation with young scientists

Summary - To prepare for the significant expansion of international cooperation budget from next year, discussions will focus on promoting international joint research, establishing a foundation for collaboration with outstanding research groups abroad, and more.- The Forum will gather diverse input from young scientists in their 30s to 40s, whose research interests are in the fields such as quantum, AI, and advanced biotechnology, the promising areas of collaboration for next 2-3 years. The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong Ho, hereinafter referred to as "MSIT") announced on September 19th, Tuesday, the commencement of the "Science and Technology Diplomacy Forum (a deliberative body which will be in operation from September to December 2023)."   The Science and Technology Diplomacy Forum is an expert deliberative body that has been held three times since 2021. The aim of the forum is to identify policy agendas related to international cooperation and diplomacy in the field of science and technology and to provide a platform for conversation among related experts, to prepare for the era of the competition for technological hegemony.   This year's Science and Technology Diplomacy Forum will be different from the one-off events held previously. Instead, it will involve discussions and debates over a period of three months to produce feasible output. In terms of contents, the Forum will explore ways to implement international cooperation in the field of science and technology in line with the administration's diplomatic vision, such as realizing South Korea as a global/international pivotal state. It will also seek to identify international cooperation policy and project agendas in preparation for the significant expansion of international cooperation-related research and development (R&D) budget starting next year. Additionally, support measures for researchers' international cooperation activities will be devised through the forum.   To better facilitate such goals, the Science and Technology Diplomacy Forum has been organized into two subgroups: one focusing on R&D topics (R&D Subgroup), including international joint research and overseas personnel exchange programs, and the other focusing on non-R&D topics (Non-R&D Subgroup), including coordination of international cooperation activities and establishment of a foundation for those actions. For each subgroup, scientific experts and research administration specialists in their 30s to 40s, who are actively engaged in the fields such as quantum, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced biotechnology, space and materials, are appointed as members. These fields are considered as a promising area for collaboration, of which the importance will constantly grow within next 2-3 years. This organization scheme intended to bring together creative and fresh perspectives and recommendations.   Furthermore, to mature the discussion process, there will be two formal meetings for each subgroup in September and October, followed by a roundup meeting in November to consolidate the results from the discussions. Finally, a comprehensive forum for deliberation will be held in December, which will invite subgroup members, scientists and engineers affiliated with domestic and international institutes, and the general public. The outcomes from and presentations made through these subgroup discussions and the comprehensive forum will be utilized as a resource in formulating MSIT's international cooperation policy direction for the following year.   The first R&D Subgroup meeting will address strategies for stimulating international joint research with overseas research institutes, in response to the budget expansion for international cooperation R&D in 2024. The opinions of young researchers will be gathered on procedural methods and institutional improvements for promoting bilateral and multilateral joint research and diversification of target countries and channels/routes for international cooperation.   Meanwhile, the Non-R&D Subgroup will address specific measures for establishing collaborative platforms and networks with excellent research groups abroad, including foreign and expatriate researchers. In particular, the subgroup will look for strategies to attract participation of outstanding overseas brainpower into domestic R&D ecosystem by promoting better exchanges and communication efforts. Moreover, enhancement of cooperation with overseas Korean scientists and scholars through overseas Korean associations will be discussed.   Director-General Kim Sung Gyu of the International Cooperation Bureau highlighted that MSIT will continue to develop policies, regulatory framework, and various initiatives for international cooperation in science and technology, of which the significance has been and is expected to increase constantly into the future. He said, "MSIT will attentively listen to opinions of young researchers, who will play a pivotal role in future international cooperation as they become leading figures inside both domestic and overseas research landscapes, and the Ministry will be sure to incorporate these opinions into our policies."     For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT. ​​​Please refer to the attached PDF.