South Korea signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with six United Nations agencies on 17 March 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland, outlining their willingness to cooperate on establishing a Global AI Hub in the country.
The document was signed in Geneva by officials from South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, with representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signing on behalf of the UN.
Ryu Je-myung, the Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT, signed the LOI on behalf of the South Korean government.
South Korea aims to secure a joint project with the UN and share essential AI infrastructure through the launch of a “UN AI Hub”. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok described the initiative as part of Korea’s push to become a “global top 3 AI powerhouse” and stated that he would chair a new committee dedicated to this matter. He was accompanied by Democratic Party lawmaker Representative Cha Ji-ho, Presidential Secretary for National AI Policy Kim Woo-chang, and government officials from relevant ministries.
The Signing Ceremony
The signing ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who has been on a two-nation tour of the United States and Switzerland to promote South Korea’s bid to host the AI hub. The government has described the hub as a platform bringing together UN bodies and South Korea’s private and public sectors to produce AI-based solutions to global issues.
Prior to the signing, Prime Minister Kim met separately with ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo, IOM Director-General Amy Pope, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to outline Seoul’s hosting plan and vision.
The three agency chiefs, the heads of the ILO, IOM, and WHO, expressed their support for the South Korean initiative and agreed to communicate closely on the details of the planned hub, according to the Prime Minister’s office.
Parallel Talks with Switzerland
On 18 March 2026, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok held a 20-minute telephone conversation with Swiss President Guy Parmelin at Parmelin’s request. Kim explained that the AI hub is an international programme aimed at advancing discussions on technology, rules, and education in the field of AI. Kim stated that South Korea hopes to contribute as a country with strong information technology capacity and requested Switzerland’s interest in the initiative. President Parmelin expressed his desire to strengthen bilateral ties and continue discussions on the AI hub.
The LOI is not a binding agreement. It records each agency’s willingness to engage further. Formal governance, structure, and funding arrangements for the hub will be negotiated in subsequent discussions between the South Korean government and the six signatory agencies.
