On December 1st, the Korea–World Bank Global Digital Knowledge Center was inaugurated at the Fairmont Hotel in Seoul, marking a significant milestone in international digital cooperation. The event was graced by several distinguished VIPs, including Kim Sang-bu, World Bank Vice President for Digital Global Practice, who was recently appointed as the first Korean to hold this position; Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, World Bank Vice President for East Asia and Pacific, who joined via video; Ji-Young Choi, Deputy Director General for International Economic Affairs, Ministry of Economy and Finance and Im Moon-young, Vice Chair of the National AI Strategy Committee. Their presence, alongside over 100 experts from public institutions, leading companies, and academia, underscored the importance of this initiative.
The Center, established as the World Bank’s only digital think tank, will play a pivotal role in supporting developing countries through research, technical assistance, policy recommendations, and capacity building in digital infrastructure, e-government, and digital economy transformation. The launch event not only celebrated Korea’s recognized leadership in digital and AI, but also fostered new opportunities for collaboration between Korean organizations and the World Bank, paving the way for expanded global engagement and innovation.
Ji-Young Choi, Deputy Director General for International Economic Affairs, Ministry of Economy and Finance of Korea stated in the opening remarks, “For Korea, the digital industry has been one of the key driving forces that helped the country avoid the middle-income trap during its rapid growth. By sharing Korea’s experience through the World Bank, we aim to support each country in creating its own digital success story.”
