The Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as the “Participants”),
Expressing mutual interest in science and technology capabilities and standards to usher in the next Golden Age of Innovation to fortify freedom and prosperity for generations to come,
Affirming the value of bilateral science and technology collaboration to enrich the lives and livelihoods of citizens in both countries, and to elevate the U.S.-ROK Alliance to a higher level, and
Recognizing the importance of deepening ties with strategic partners across the Pacific as a means to strengthen stability in the region,
Have reached the following understandings:
I. Purpose
The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding (hereinafter “MOU”) is to enable collaboration towards joint opportunities of mutual interest in strategic science and technology disciplines.
II. Areas of Cooperation
The Participants aim to collaborate in a number of disciplines, including but not limited to the following:
Accelerating AI Adoption and Innovation
AI promises a new Golden Age of Innovation by empowering individuals and supercharging progress across sectors like healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and education. The Participants intend to collaborate closely on developing pro-innovation AI policy frameworks, promoting the export of trusted AI technology stacks, developing AI-ready datasets, strengthening the enforcement of technology protection measures, advancing shared work on industry standards, and fostering our children’s digital wellbeing. Focus areas for collaboration are intended to include:
- Driving innovative research and development to accelerate the application of AI for science, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and related fields, including through use-inspired research opportunities, such as those supported through the U.S. National Science Foundation, the National Research Foundation of Korea, Institute of Information and Communication Technology Planning and Evaluation, and other relevant science funders;
- Championing pro-innovation AI policy frameworks and efforts to support AI technology adoption;
- Working together to promote U.S. and Korean AI exports across the full stack of AI hardware, models, software, applications, and standards;
- Exploring collaboration on AI export deals across Asia and beyond to drive the adoption of a shared AI ecosystem in the region;
- Partnering to strengthen the enforcement of existing AI compute protection measures and to discuss the alignment of protection measures for critical and emerging technologies;
- Promoting mutual understanding of guidelines and frameworks for AI adoption from the respective Participants, to foster the harmonization of practices that encourage interoperability;
- Collaborating to reduce operational burdens for innovators and technology companies, with particular attention to removing barriers to innovative, trusted, and privacy-preserving data hosting architectures, and ensuring a conducive environment for digital application platforms;
- Advancing and refocusing the partnership between the U.S. Center for AI Standards and Innovation and the Korea AI Safety Institute towards a shared mission to promote secure AI innovation, including through working towards best practices in metrology for AI, industry standards development, and improving understanding of both advanced AI models and sector-specific applications to drive continued AI adoption; and
- Engaging in discussions to promote education, innovation, and technology for children to flourish in the digital era and prepare future generations for the workplace of tomorrow, including by participating in the Fostering the Future Together global initiative established by First Lady Melania Trump.
Trusted Technology Leadership
The Participants intend to enhance longstanding collaboration on key technologies and practices to enable technology leadership in the global arena, including:
- Research Security
Recognizing the importance of shared research security across critical and emerging technology research and development, the Participants intend to deepen collaboration to protect their technologies and their people. The Participants intend to collaborate on research security and identify and mitigate threats to the research enterprise including: supporting capacity building for universities, research organizations, and industry; strengthening collaboration in threat analysis in key technology areas; and leading allies and partners to adopt similarly rigorous practices to facilitate a trusted ecosystem of innovation. - Advanced Radio Access Networks and 6G
Expanding their partnership in telecommunications innovation and supply chain resilience, the Participants intend to collaborate on building a trusted, interoperable supply chain and enable joint research and development in 6G-relevant technologies. This work is intended to be supported by joint efforts in standards bodies and partnership with industry to shape global telecommunications standards in line with the Participants’ shared priorities. - Securing Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Supply Chains
Highlighting the need to secure their mutual pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chains, intellectual property, and innovation ecosystem, the Participants intend to accelerate progress towards the identification and remediation of vulnerabilities. The Participants intend to collaborate on supply chain security throughout all phases of research and development and across academic, government, and industry stakeholders, including contract research organizations and contract development and manufacturing organizations, to support resilient and healthy economies. - Leading Quantum Innovation
Positioning the Participants to be at the forefront of quantum innovation while safeguarding critical capabilities, the Participants intend to advance trusted and interoperable standards for quantum technologies, deepen partnerships between leading quantum institutions, and secure the quantum supply chain to foster a robust and reliable quantum ecosystem. - Basic Research and STEM Exchange
The Participants intend to strengthen the foundation for bilateral science and technology cooperation by expanding participation and collaboration in large-scale projects and actively supporting exchanges and collaborative activities among researchers of both sides, with a view to promoting the advancement of fundamental science and technology. - Cooperating on Space Exploration
Recognizing that research and development investments in space, including building capacity for human missions to the Moon and Mars, contribute to civilian mission needs, the Participants intend to continue their partnership in civil space and on aeronautics, science, and human exploration. Areas of collaboration include future Artemis contributions, a Korean cubesat rideshare on Artemis II, NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services, the development of the Korea Positioning System to ensure compatibility and maximum interoperability with GPS, and fostering partnerships for the development and operation of Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations.
III. Operation and Discontinuation
This MOU becomes operative on the date of the last signature. The Participants may modify this MOU by written mutual decision. Either Participant may discontinue this MOU by providing written notice of discontinuation to the other Participant. The discontinuation is expected to commence on a date 180 days after the date on which notice of discontinuation is delivered. The Participants will advance the implementation of the MOU through the Joint Committee Meeting mechanism.
This MOU does not constitute or create and is not intended to constitute or create any legally binding obligations. Nothing in this MOU is intended to alter or affect any existing agreements between the Participants. Cooperation under this MOU is intended to take place within the framework of applicable national legislation and international obligations. Nothing in this MOU commits the Participants to the expenditure of funds.
The foregoing represents the understanding reached between the Participants on the matters referred to in this MOU.
Signed in duplicate, in the English language.