Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung met with International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert Houngbo to discuss South Korea's labor policy in the context of artificial intelligence (AI). Lee emphasized the historical influence of the U.N. labor organization on South Korea's labor movement and expressed his expectations for its role in the AI era.

According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee voiced concerns about the global issue of job replacement by AI and expressed high expectations for the ILO's involvement. He sought Houngbo's advice on South Korea's labor policy direction and acknowledged the ILO's participation in the Global AI Hub, a forthcoming initiative by South Korea aimed at fostering cross-border cooperation in AI to address global challenges like disease control.

The Global AI Hub will see the involvement of nine global organizations, including the ILO, and five multilateral development banks. Houngbo congratulated Lee on the initiative, expressing the ILO's readiness to join and highlighting the potential for maximizing AI use in the labor sector. He also thanked Seoul for its significant contributions to the ILO, noting South Korea's position among the organization's top 10 donor countries.

During the meeting, Lee reiterated his government's commitment to a labor policy that respects the value of labor and ensures AI positively impacts the labor market, as stated by presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung in a written briefing. Houngbo invited Lee to address the ILO's general assembly next June to discuss his government's labor policy further.