The Ministry of Science and ICT (“MSIT”; Minister Yoo Sang-Im) announced that it jointly held the Eighth Korea-Finland Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology with Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (MEAE) on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at a conference room of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology (PACST).
The Joint Committee Meeting was established under the bilateral Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation, signed in 1989, and the MOU on Joint Response to the Digital Economy and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, signed in 2019. As an intergovernmental mechanism aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in advanced science and technology, the meeting has convened for seven times to date to discuss a range of collaborative initiatives.
At the Eighth Joint Committee Meeting, the Korean delegation was led by Mr. Hwang Sung-hoon, MSIT Director General for International Cooperation. The Korean delegation included representatives from the National Research Foundation of Korea, Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP), and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). The Finnish delegation was led by Director General Juhapekka Ristola of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (MEAE), and consisted of representatives from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and Culture, Embassy of Finland in Korea, Research Council of Finland, Business Finland, the Finnish IT Center for Science (CSC), the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and the University of Helsinki.
The two sides opened the meeting by sharing updates on their latest science and technology policies. They reviewed the progress of ongoing bilateral cooperation in key areas such as 6G mobile communications and quantum technology, and explored opportunities to expand collaboration into emerging areas, including basic research in AI and defense science.
Korea and Finland have maintained a long-standing partnership in 6G mobile communications, with both countries recognized globally for their technological leadership and world-class industries. Korea was the first country to launch a commercial 5G network and continues to make significant progress in developing 6G technologies. Finland is spearheading the European Union‘s flagship 6G research initiatives such as Hexa-X and Hexa-X-II, supported by strong public-private collaboration. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the outcomes of ongoing joint 6G research and discussed ways to expand future research cooperation. They also explored new opportunities for cooperation in the broader digital sector, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence.
In the field of quantum technology, Finland is widely regarded as a global front-runner, with advanced quantum computing capabilities and a robust supply chain. It is one of the few countries capable of producing entire quantum computers. Korea, meanwhile, has strength in quantum cryptography communication. The two countries have been collaborating based on these respective technological advantages. The Joint Committee Meeting is expected to further facilitate exchanges between quantum technology businesses and expand research collaboration in the field.
Lastly, the two sides discussed cooperation in basic science related to defense and resilience. Finland has built Onkalo, the world's first and only deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel, and is carrying out extensive research in radioactive waste management. On the occasion of the Joint Committee Meeting, Korea and Finland explored opportunities for collaboration in research areas such as radiation disaster response and protection, and discussed potential ways for future cooperation.
Director General Hwang Sunghoon of the International Cooperation Bureau of MSIT said, “Finland is among the world’s most innovative countries, as reflected in the Global Innovation Index and the European Innovation Scoreboard.” He emphasized, “I believe that by leveraging our two countries’ respective strengths, we can generate mutually beneficial outcomes through advanced science and technology cooperation.”
For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT.
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