Korea Labor Foundation expands AI labor administration cooperation with Uzbekistan

The Korea Labor Foundation is expanding cooperation with the Uzbek government on AI-based labor administration and the digital transformation of labor inspection. The foundation plans to broaden the scope of collaboration beyond policy advisory work on labor laws and institutional reform to cover AI-driven labor administration and industrial safety oversight.

The foundation said Thursday it held a Korea-Uzbekistan joint seminar at its main conference room in Mapo-gu, Seoul, with a delegation from Uzbekistan's Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction. The event was organized as part of the "2024–2026 Uzbekistan Labor Law and System Improvement Policy Advisory Project."

The seminar gave participants a chance to share the results of policy advisory work to date — including amendments to labor protection laws, improvements to the labor inspection system, and the establishment of a training framework for labor inspectors — and to discuss follow-up cooperation in AI-based labor administration and labor and industrial safety oversight, building on an MOU signed in May.

The seminar featured presentations on South Korea's AI-based labor administration services and data-driven administrative practices. The Ministry of Employment and Labor shared its experience modernizing labor administration through digital technology, presenting initiatives that included the development of a common AI infrastructure platform, an AI-powered labor law consultation service, a data standardization and quality management framework, and an AI consultation monitoring system. The presentations offered policy models applicable to Uzbekistan's efforts to build a digital government and modernize its labor administration.

The Uzbek delegation outlined recent legislative and institutional reforms in the labor sector and upcoming priorities, and shared progress made on institutional improvements following South Korea's policy advisory support. The two countries also agreed to pursue follow-up cooperation projects covering training, policy advisory services, and digital platform development to modernize the labor inspection system and advance its digital transformation.

Park Jong-pil, secretary-general of the Korea Labor Foundation, said the MOU signed in May had opened the door to substantive cooperation that now extends beyond labor law and institutional reform to include digital labor administration, labor inspection, and industrial safety oversight capacity building. "This joint seminar and invitation-based training program will serve as a starting point for sharing South Korea's digital administration experience and jointly designing innovations in Uzbekistan's labor administration," he said.

Meanwhile, the Uzbek delegation will remain in South Korea through Saturday, observing AI-based labor administration services, AI applications in occupational safety and health, industrial safety inspector training programs, and safety experience education. The Korea Labor Foundation expects the training visit to serve as an opportunity to extend policy cooperation between the two countries into the field of digital labor administration.