What steps has South Korea taken to promote responsible military AI?

Jeong said South Korea spearheaded a U.N. General Assembly resolution on military AI and co-hosted a related summit with the Netherlands. He said the country would continue to play an active role in promoting responsible use of AI in the military domain.

S. Korea, UN discuss N. Korean nuclear issue, military AI

Q: What did Jeong Yeon-doo and Izumi Nakamitsu discuss at their Seoul meeting?

They exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula situation and North Korea’s nuclear issue, the outcomes of the U.N. General Assembly’s First Committee, and ways to deepen cooperation between South Korea and the UNODA.

Q: Why did Izumi Nakamitsu warn about military AI and other rapidly advancing technologies?

Nakamitsu warned that rapid technological advances could expose new vulnerabilities and increase the risks of miscalculation and unintended escalation. She said international law must be observed at every stage of AI development and use.

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Summary

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Jeong Yeon-doo and U.N. disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitsu discussed North Korea’s nuclear program and military AI in Seoul on Friday. Their meeting took place on the sidelines of the two-day Korea-U.N. Conference on Disarmament and Nonproliferation. Jeong called for international cooperation on responsible military AI, while Nakamitsu warned of risks from rapid technological advances and stressed human control and responsibility.

Key Facts

The talks covered the Korean Peninsula situation, outcomes of the U.N. General Assembly’s First Committee and ways to deepen cooperation between South Korea and the UNODA.
Jeong said South Korea had spearheaded a U.N. General Assembly resolution on military AI and co-hosted a related summit with the Netherlands.
Nakamitsu said rapid advances in AI and other technologies could create new vulnerabilities and raise the risks of miscalculation and unintended escalation.
Nakamitsu said international law should be observed throughout AI development and use, and that people must retain control and responsibility for AI-related decisions.
Nakamitsu identified policies based on technical expertise and suitable forums for dialogue as priorities.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 13, 2026 5:07 pm KST

Jeong Yeon-doo, right, head of the foreign ministry's Office of Strategy and Intelligence, shakes hands with U.N. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu ahead of their meeting in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Senior officials of South Korea and the U.N. Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) held a meeting Friday and discussed North Korea's nuclear program and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military domain, the foreign ministry said.

The meeting between Vice Foreign Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Jeong Yeon-doo and U.N. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu took place on the sidelines of the two-day Korea-U.N. Conference on Disarmament and Nonproliferation, held in Seoul from Thursday.

During the talks, the two sides exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the North Korean nuclear issue, the outcomes of the U.N. General Assembly's First Committee and ways to deepen cooperation between South Korea and the UNODA.

During the conference, Jeong stressed the need for international cooperation to promote the responsible use of AI in the military domain while addressing related challenges.

He also said South Korea would continue to play an active role in the field, noting that it had spearheaded a U.N. General Assembly resolution on military AI and co-hosted a relevant summit with the Netherlands.

Nakamitsu warned that rapid advances in AI and other technologies could expose new vulnerabilities and increase the risks of miscalculation and unintended escalation.

The official stressed that international law must be observed at every stage of AI development and use, and that humans must retain control and responsibility for decisions involving AI. She also outlined such priorities as developing policies based on technical expertise and finding appropriate forums for dialogue, the ministry said.

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