South Korea Seeks to Host United Nations AI Hub, U.S. Backing Sought
South Korea is pressing its bid to host a new United Nations AI Hub, with Prime Minister Kim Min-seok traveling to the United States and Switzerland from December 12 to 19 to advance the plan. The government describes the trip as a coordinated effort to situate Korea at the center of global AI cooperation.
The prime minister will depart Incheon for Washington, D.C., where he is slated to meet senior U.S. officials, including JD Vance, who is described in the government briefing as the U.S. vice president. The talks are expected to cover a range of bilateral issues tied to the broader U.S.–Korea alliance, including technology policy and trade.
Washington discussions are also seen as a potential venue to brief on the “Special Law for Managing Strategic Investments,” a Korea-U.S. investment framework that has passed a key stage in the National Assembly and is described by Seoul as an agreed path on investment governance. Officials say the prime minister may outline the law’s implications to U.S. counterparts.
After Washington, Kim will travel to New York for engagements with United Nations bodies, including the UN, UNICEF and UNDP, centered on the AI Hub initiative. The government frames the Hub as a global platform that would coordinate AI-related activities across UN agencies and partner organizations.
The Korea-led AI Hub project is presented as a way to strengthen global AI cooperation and governance. Seoul argues it would provide a new cross-border framework for research, standards and policy coordination among international institutions and member states.
Following New York, Kim’s schedule in Geneva includes meetings with the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization and the International Organization for Migration to discuss AI Hub-related matters. The Prime Minister’s Office says he will also meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other senior UN officials during the trip.
Context for U.S. readers: the AI Hub proposal touches on global governance of artificial intelligence, an area of growing importance for U.S. tech policy, security and supply chains. Washington’s cooperation with Seoul on AI standards, ethics, safety and cross-border investment could influence how American companies participate in international AI research, procurement, and regulatory alignment. The trip underscores Korea’s role as a key ally in Asia in shaping multilateral approaches to AI and related technologies.