Vice Minister Kim Ei-tak of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport met with Chris Turner, Google vice president for external relations (knowledge and information institutional sector), at the National Territorial Development Exhibition Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 24th to discuss cooperation plans in artificial intelligence (AI) geospatial information and the urban and transportation sectors.
The meeting was arranged at Google's request to discuss strengthening cooperation between Korea and Google based on maps and data after the decision in February to approve the export of map data to Google.
The Vice Minister conveyed that he expects a win-win partnership in which Google, based on its technological prowess and global competitiveness, works with Korean corporations and supports Korea's industrial growth in areas such as AI and mobility.
In addition, departments in charge of geospatial information, urban affairs, and transportation attended the meeting to review cooperation possibilities focused on AI map services, mobility optimization and traffic safety enhancement based on public data, and smart city infrastructure.
Vice President Chris Turner said, "With the map export approval decision in February, we have gained constructive opportunities to cooperate with Korea," and added, "Based on Google's data, AI technology, and map services, we will continue to contribute to the advancement of smart infrastructure and the optimization of transportation in Korea."
The Vice Minister emphasized, "We expect this meeting to serve as an opportunity to build a future-oriented partnership with Google and to drive the growth of Korean corporations," and added, "Google and Korea's industry will establish a continuous cooperation network so that concrete win-win measures—such as technology cooperation, support for overseas expansion, and increased investment—can be promptly devised and implemented."