Artificial intelligence governance, the digitalization of public administration, digital identity, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity were at the centre of the forum organized by the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics – ICI Bucharest at the Palace of Parliament, in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Korea and under the High Patronage of the Senate of Romania. The event brought together high-level representatives of public institutions from Romania and the Republic of Korea, along with experts in artificial intelligence, digitalization, research and cybersecurity.
The opening session of the forum brought together Cosmin-Alexandru Soare-Filatov, Presidential Adviser; Dan Reșitnec, Secretary General of the Government of Romania; Clara Staicu, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; H.E. Seung-chul Hur, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Romania; Hyesun Choi, Director of AI Government Cooperation at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea; Anton-Mugurel Rog, Head of the National Cyberint Center; Cătălin-Aurel Giulescu, President of the Authority for the Digitalization of Romania; Andrei Alexandru, President of the National Authority for Research; Dan Cîmpean, Director of the Romanian National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC); and Dr. Eng. Adrian-Victor Vevera, General Director of ICI Bucharest.
“We already have numerous collaborations in the field of innovation with Japan, European countries and other countries. We are open to initiating, together with the National Authority for Research, new collaborations with our partners from the Republic of Korea,” said Dr. Eng. Adrian-Victor Vevera, General Director of ICI Bucharest, who moderated the event. The forum programme focused on presenting the experiences of both countries and identifying areas where they can develop new forms of cooperation.
Topics included national AI governance, digital transformation and the use of AI in public administration, the digitalization of local government, trusted digital infrastructure, digital identity and cyber resilience. The Korean side presented experiences and initiatives related to AI use in the public sector, the digital transformation of local government, the K-DID digital identity system, and the UNI-PASS customs system. At the same time, the discussions highlighted the need for AI use in public institutions to be accompanied by testing, evaluation, and clear accountability mechanisms. The forum thus provided a framework for practical dialogue between institutions from the two countries and highlighted opportunities to further cooperation in areas such as AI governance, digital government, digital identity, cybersecurity, technological infrastructure and the exchange of expertise.
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