South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT announced on Monday that it will deepen cooperation with the European Union (EU) through the launch of a Korean hub for Gaia-X, the EU’s flagship data platform aimed at building a unified digital market and driving the data economy. This move is intended to enhance Korea's data ecosystem and support collaboration on global data norms and standards.
Gaia-X is a key component of the EU's data strategy, designed to foster secure, legal data sharing within the region and boost the data economy. During the Korea-EU Global Data Cooperation Forum, held at the Post Tower in Seoul, representatives from both sides discussed ways to enhance data collaboration, facilitate the entry of Korean data companies into the EU market, and advance international data regulations and standards.
With data becoming increasingly critical to both economic competitiveness and national security, the EU—home to the world's second-largest data market—has been actively pursuing strategies to create a unified data market and encourage data sharing within its borders.
To support this vision, South Korea and the EU have agreed to establish a "Korea-EU Global Data Cooperation Center" (provisionally named the Gaia-X Korean Hub). This center will promote cooperation on global data governance and help Korean companies expand into the European market.
Ahead of the forum, officials from the Ministry of Science and ICT met with Markus Hess, Director of Industrial Policy and Future Mobility at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, to discuss leveraging data cooperation for industrial benefits. Germany, a key player in the Gaia-X initiative, is heavily involved in digital economy and innovation policies.
The launch event for Korea's National Data Alliance was also held following the forum, with the participation of various government ministries, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Participants discussed strategies for improving data interoperability and connecting sector-specific data platforms.
Song Sang-hoon, Director of Information and Communications Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, “Through our partnership with the EU, we will actively support Korean data companies in expanding their presence in the European market.”
Ulrich Ahle, CEO of Gaia-X, added, “Close cooperation with Korea’s data ecosystem will make a significant contribution to the growth of the global data economy. We look forward to expanding partnerships with Korean companies in the future.”
This article was first published on 15 October by KERC.
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