Deputy foreign minister attends Pax Silica Summit, pushes for semiconductor supply chain cooperation

Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jin-a attended the second Pax Silica Summit in Washington, D.C., where she discussed cooperation on AI and semiconductor supply chains, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Saturday.

Pax Silica is an AI supply chain consultative body launched in December last year under the leadership of the US Department of State. It counts 24 member countries, including South Korea, Australia, Finland, India, Japan and the United Kingdom.

A joint government-industry session held June 25 focused on ways to foster cooperation between governments and the private sector to build an AI innovation ecosystem. At a separate intergovernmental meeting held June 26, participants took up fair competition and innovation-friendly policies, with discussions centered on creating a policy environment to support AI innovation.

Kim delivered opening remarks at a semiconductor supply chain session, outlining South Korea's domestic strategy for nurturing the semiconductor industry.

"Semiconductor supply chain resilience is a shared challenge that no single country can achieve alone, so let us work together to create a stable and predictable business environment for member states," she said.

Kim also outlined the key elements of the AI Action Plan announced in February, expressing South Korea's commitment to contributing to an innovation-friendly global environment across the entire AI value chain.

Participating countries agreed to prioritize building innovation-friendly regulatory systems, deepening cooperation in AI-related areas including energy, critical minerals, skilled personnel and semiconductors, and promoting collaboration with the private sector.

The summit adopted a joint statement on the "AI Opportunity Partnership" on June 26.