At the inaugural World Bank Global Digital Summit, the National Information Society Agency (NIA), a strategic partner of the Korea Digital Development program (KoDi), showcased its contributions and strategies towards digital transformation. The summit provided a forum for dialogue on digital progress, with NIA highlighting the Republic of Korea’s advances and collaborative spirit in the digital realm.
Dr. Jong-Sung Hwang, President of NIA, spoke prominently at the "INNOVATE Panel: Doing Digital Faster, Smarter, and Safer," where he presented Korea's accomplishments in digital transformation, emphasizing political will and a decades-long commitment to developing a robust digital infrastructure. This transformation journey from basic database development to adopting a digital platform government approach has contributed to Korea’s leading position in the World Bank's GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI) and the 2023 OECD Digital Government Index.
During his speech, Dr. Hwang also highlighted Korea's approach to integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into public services. He detailed the three-pillar strategy, which focuses on AI model development, data accumulation, and cloud computing, illustrating this with the "My AI Assistant” service—an AI application that delivers notifications and consultations for government services to millions of Koreans. Dr. Hwang also announced a new partnership program, in collaboration with the World Bank, to help bridge the AI divide by providing resources such as AI training data, computing power, and expert training program, demonstrating Korea's commitment to global digital cooperation.
© National Information Society Agency
Central to Korea’s digital strategy is the Digital Platform Government initiative, aimed at proactively delivering highly personalized and accessible public services. Dr. Hwang underlined the necessity of incorporating citizens' perspectives into service design, guided by the principles of the Digital Bill of Rights, which outlines online rights and promotes digital fairness and safety for all. This commitment was demonstrated at NIA’s exhibit booth, where participants could explore and learn about initiatives such as the Internet Access Center on AI, AI Hub, and Digital Competency Center, as well as the Digital Bill of Rights.
NIA’s participation in the World Bank Global Digital Summit highlighted Korea’s achievements in digital governance while also emphasizing the importance of international collaboration and sharing of knowledge in the digital era. Korea’s experience and forward-looking strategies offer vital insights to the global community as it navigates the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation.
© National Information Society Agency
NIA’s participation in the World Bank Global Digital Summit highlighted Korea’s achievements in digital governance while also emphasizing the importance of international collaboration and sharing of knowledge in the digital era. Korea’s experience and forward-looking strategies offer vital insights to the global community as it navigates the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation.
