Double Tenth Gala Marks New Peak in Korea-Taiwan AI Cooperation

The Taipei Mission in Korea hosted a Double Ten National Day reception on the 8th of this month, providing a platform for Taiwanese expatriates and friends in South Korea to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China. At the reception, Representative to South Korea Qiu Gaowei delivered a speech titled "Taiwan-Korea Exchanges Reach New Heights," reviewing the multifaceted interactions between the two countries in politics, economy, and culture in recent years. He pointed out that bilateral relations have gradually shifted from past one-way competition to a mutually complementary and cooperative framework. The Double Ten holiday has historically served to unite national sentiments among overseas Chinese communities, and this gathering also reinforced the identity and concern for the homeland among Taiwanese in South Korea through the diplomatic representative's remarks.

The evolution of Taiwan-Korea relations can be traced back to 1992, when the two sides signed a joint declaration to formally establish unofficial representative offices, laying the foundation for subsequent economic, trade, and cultural exchanges. Over the past decade, as Taiwan's promotion of the New Southbound Policy has resonated with South Korea's New Southern Policy, the frequency and depth of cooperation in education, technology, and tourism have continued to increase. Particularly in cultural activities such as university exchanges and the joint hosting of exhibitions, performances, and film festivals, thousands of young students travel back and forth between the two countries each year, forming a vibrant network of people-to-people interactions.

Economically, bilateral trade between Taiwan and South Korea has surpassed 30 billion US dollars. Taiwan's semiconductor and display panel technologies form a clear complementary relationship with South Korea's memory and mobile phone manufacturing capacities. The historical competitive mindset between the two countries in high-tech industries has gradually transformed into a cooperative need to jointly mitigate risks, driven by the restructuring of global supply chains and intensifying US-China trade frictions. Enterprises on both sides have engaged in dialogues regarding supply chain security, raw material substitution, and technical standard formulation, demonstrating that they have become indispensable partners in the process of industrial upgrading.

The rapid development of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry has provided new opportunities for Taiwan-Korea cooperation. Taiwan possesses a mature research and development foundation in AI chips and edge computing, while South Korea holds an advanced market position in AI applications, particularly in the commercialization of smartphones and automotive systems. Qiu Gaowei pointed out that the two sides have begun cooperating across the upstream and downstream sectors of the AI supply chain. From chip design, hardware and software integration, to application services, a full-chain cooperation model spanning from research and development to the market has formed, which is of great significance for enhancing the competitiveness of both countries in the global AI industrial chain.

Overall, the Double Ten reception was not only a celebratory ceremony but also symbolized the deepening and innovation of Taiwan-Korea relations across diverse fields. Looking ahead, as the two countries continue their dialogue in emerging areas such as energy, green technology, and digital governance, Taiwan-Korea cooperation is expected to exert greater influence on the international stage and inject positive momentum into peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.