President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) on June 13 speaks at a talk with young entrepreneurs at the U-ENTER Entrepreneurship Innovation Center in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. (Yonhap News)
By Charles Audouin
President Yoon Suk Yeol has pledged "full support at the government level to develop professional human resources with startup capacity and expand cooperation and exchange between Korean and Uzbek startups and technical personnel."
The Office of the President said President Yoon on June 13 said this in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, at a talk with young entrepreneurs at the U-ENTER Entrepreneurship Innovation Center. The facility was built with official development assistance (ODA) from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
He added, "In the digital transformation era, startups using deep tech such as artificial intelligence and blockchain will lead economic growth," referring to KOICA's Youth Innovation Silk Road Reboot Program.
The program is an ODA project that trains industry experts well-versed in startups and supports sector-specific growth through business-academic partnerships.
At the event, participants including startups and youth from both countries said they look forward to the program contributing toward reinforcing connections between the startup ecosystems of both countries.
The Office of the President said, "The event is more meaningful since it came on the heels of the announcement of the Korea-Central Asia K-Silk Road Initiative, which includes support and cooperation for budding youth startups in Central Asia as one of its key projects."
President Yoon is on a state visit to Uzbekistan, the last stop on his Central Asian tour that concludes on June 15. Starting with an official welcoming ceremony the day before, his schedule includes a bilateral summit, signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding and joint news conference.
caudouin@korea.kr