South Korea's National Information Society Agency (NIA) said on Tuesday it will strengthen cooperation with the Korea AI and Software Industry Association (KOSA) on AI policy and legislation and jointly identify cooperation tasks to expand public-sector artificial intelligence transformation (AX).

Kim Hyeong-cheol (김형철), head of NIA, visited KOSA on Monday for the first time since taking office. The two organisations reviewed existing legal support efforts, including support for drafting subordinate regulations under the Basic AI Act and operating a support desk for the act, and agreed to strengthen future cooperation. They also discussed new tasks, including linking NIA's Public AX Transformation Support Center with KOSA's AX Innovation Transformation Center, cooperating on a nationwide AI capability-strengthening project and supporting global expansion by AI and software companies.

Kim said that for the system to take stable root in the field in the first year of enforcement of the Basic AI Act, close communication and cooperation with industry are most important. He said he would broadly expand cooperation with KOSA to include strengthening AI capabilities, expanding public-sector AX and global expansion to support South Korea's leap to become one of the world's top three AI powers.

Cho Jun-hee (조준희), chairman of KOSA, said he would work with NIA to ensure the system takes stable root in the field, faithfully reflect the industry's voice in policy and accelerate AX for South Korean companies.