South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT's Science and Technology Innovation Office attended an academic conference held in the United States and discussed cooperation plans in strategic technology fields such as AI, space and quantum with Korean scientists and engineers in the United States.

The ministry said on Saturday that Park In-gyu (박인규), head of the Science and Technology Innovation Office, attended the Korea-U.S. Conference on Science, Technology and Entrepreneurship (UKC 2026) held in Orlando, Florida from Aug. 5 to 8.

UKC is an academic conference hosted by the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association. It is held annually to promote personal exchanges, academic discussions and information sharing between science and technology professionals in South Korea and the United States. The event, now in its 39th year, was organised under the theme "From imagination to innovation, and to reality" and consisted of a keynote speech, technology sessions in 8 fields and 7 special sessions.

In a congratulatory address at the opening ceremony, Park said he would continue to support exchanges and cooperation between science and technology professionals in the two countries. He also attended the AI and space signature forum and the quantum-AI application forum, and stressed the need for international cooperation. "To respond to the changing technological environment, including the New Space era and the great AI transformation, and to achieve national growth, international cooperation is essential," Park said.

At the science policy and diplomacy forum, the ministry also introduced basic science research using AI and policies on the use of research data. The ministry has enacted the Act on the Management of and Promotion of the Use of National Research Data to expand public use of research data. It plans to expand cooperation outcomes between South Korea and the United States through joint research and personnel exchanges in the future.

Park also visited the Kennedy Space Center in the United States on Aug. 7, toured facilities related to space exploration and received explanations about the Artemis program in which South Korea is participating. He also explained government policies on reusable launch vehicles, satellite systems and payloads, and space exploration, along with the policy direction for the aerospace and maritime fields included in national strategic technologies.

"Achievements that change human life are difficult to realise through the power of any one country alone," Park said. "I will actively support research cooperation between South Korea and the United States, including joint research and personnel exchanges," he said.