Assemblyman Jiho Cha Takes the Mic Himself: "Co-Designing the Global AI Hub Together"

Direct Dialogue with Diplomatic Corps from 60 Countries
Explaining the Operational Framework and Roles of Participating Nations
Emphasizing Collaborative Design within the International Community

Jiho Cha, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea who has led efforts to bring the Global AI Hub to Korea, met directly with members of the diplomatic corps in Korea to explain the significance of establishing the Hub and to outline directions for future cooperation.

Cha Jiho, member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is exchanging business cards with diplomats at the Global AI Hub joint briefing on the 14th. Photo by Paek Jongmin, Tech Specialist

On the 14th, Assemblyman Cha personally attended the “Global AI Hub Joint Briefing” held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he engaged with diplomats from around 60 countries.

Rather than simply delivering a congratulatory address, Cha remained until the end of the event, directly answering questions from the diplomats and focusing on clarifying issues regarding the operational framework of the Global AI Hub and the roles of participating countries.

Assemblyman Cha stated, “The fact that decisions have not yet been made means that we will determine them together in a practical manner moving forward,” adding, “Participating countries can also jointly discuss the detailed direction for operating the Global AI Hub.” He explained that, rather than presenting a pre-designed project to each country, the Global AI Hub is a collaborative platform where international organizations and participating nations co-develop initiatives together.

Cha especially emphasized that nations with AI technology and resources need a structure to share capabilities with developing countries, and that countries from the Global South—such as those in Africa—should take the lead in addressing their local challenges. When Assemblyman Cha, a key figure behind Korea’s bid for the Global AI Hub, appeared at the event, diplomats even lined up to greet him. One attendee remarked, “It’s the first time I’ve seen an Assemblyman directly answer questions from the audience at a government-hosted briefing.”

The Global AI Hub is a platform that pools the capabilities of nine international organizations and five multilateral development banks in Korea to harness AI in tackling shared global challenges such as the climate crisis, healthcare, and food security. Using this briefing as an opportunity, the government plans to identify collaboration needs of each country and to develop both bilateral and multilateral cooperation projects, as well as AI pilot projects, in more detail.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.