[Full Text] Korea-US Joint Statement on Bilateral Cooperation in Quantum Information Science and Technology

The Ministry of Science and ICT signed a joint statement on April 25 at the White House in Washington D.C., USA, to strengthen cooperation with the U.S. government in quantum information science and technology. Below is the full text of the statement in both Korean and English.

Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT signed a joint statement on Korea-US quantum information science and technology cooperation with the US government at the White House in Washington DC on the 25th, coinciding with President Yoon Seok-yeol's visit to the United States. From left to right in the photo: Jung Yoon-chae, Head of the Korea-US Quantum Technology Cooperation Center; Kim Sung-kyu, International Cooperation Officer of the Ministry of Science and ICT; Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT; Interpreter; Park Ji-young, Officer in charge of Americas-Asia Cooperation at the Ministry of Science and ICT; Charlie Tahan, Director of the National Quantum Coordination Office at the White House; Kaye Koizumi, Deputy Chief of Policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Arati Prabhakar, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Asad Ramzanali, Chief of Staff at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Photo by Ministry of Science and ICT

- Korean Version

The Republic of Korea and the United States of America plan to promote cooperation in the field of quantum information science and technology (QIST) for the peace and prosperity of their peoples, based on shared values and the strong ROK-U.S. alliance.

We understand that science and technology are key drivers of innovation in society and the economy, and that collaborative and transnational efforts in research and development are important to driving innovation.

We recognize that QIST is an important emerging technology that enables the development of powerful computers, more secure communication networks, and more precise and accurate sensors by exploring new ways to acquire, transmit, and process information using quantum mechanics.

We are confident that the emergence of such technologies promotes broader scientific efforts to explore grand societal challenges, potentially including global health, climate change, and efficient resource use, and provides opportunities to develop new applications of QIST.

We confirm that a skilled workforce and increased awareness of applications are essential for the advancement of QIST and the realization of a quantum-based economy, and that diverse efforts are needed to encourage broad and inclusive participation in QIST, including public awareness campaigns, educational initiatives, apprenticeships, quantum and interdisciplinary capacity building, and reskilling programs.

We recognize that the QIST ecosystem, composed of stakeholders from various sectors including academia, government, and the private sector, is global and interconnected. The sharing and combining of opinions, expertise, and creativity are crucial to expanding fundamental understanding of QIST and accelerating its adoption.

In accordance with the Korea-U.S. Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation signed in Washington on July 2, 1999, we intend to pursue the following shared vision for QIST.

We intend to begin good-faith cooperation based on shared values including freedom of inquiry, fair competition, openness and transparency, accountability and reciprocity, protection and enforcement of intellectual property, rigor and integrity in research, research security, and democratic values.

We are committed to creating an inclusive scientific research community and addressing cross-cutting common interests such as equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, so that everyone can fully participate and have equal opportunities for success.

We strive to facilitate exchanges among government, academia, and the private sector to broaden understanding of QIST research progress. Such exchanges can lead to identifying common interests and future scientific cooperation opportunities to promote the societal benefits of this emerging field and prepare for its yet unknown impacts.

We intend to engage the private sector and industry consortia to build a trusted global market and supply chain for QIST research and development (R&D), creating opportunities to support economic growth.

We plan to utilize regular bilateral and multilateral opportunities to discuss important issues such as QIST standardization and technology protection considerations, where international cooperation is essential.

We intend to promote joint research in QIST, including personnel exchanges and voluntary, mutually agreed sharing of QIST-related methodologies and data, to foster the next generation of scientists and engineers essential for expanding the field.

The Republic of Korea and the United States of America look forward to strengthening friendly relations and mutual understanding between the two countries and to contributing mutually to the advancement of QIST based on increased cooperation in the field.

The two parties signed two originals in English in Washington D.C.

Representative of the Republic of Korea: Lee Jong Ho / Representative of the United States of America: Arati Prabhakar

April 25, 2023

- English Version

The Republic of Korea and the United States of America, building upon their shared values and strong alliance, intend to pursue cooperation in quantum information science and technology (QIST) for the peace and prosperity of the citizens of both countries.

We understand that science and technology are key drivers of innovation in society and economy, and collaborative and transnational efforts in research and development are important to driving innovation.

We recognize that QIST is a critical and emerging technology, which enables the development of powerful computers, more secure communications networks, and more precise and accurate sensors, by exploring new ways to acquire, transmit, and process information using quantum mechanics.

We assert that the emergence of such technologies provides opportunities to enable wider scientific endeavors and to develop new applications for using QIST to explore grand societal challenges, potentially including global health, climate change, and efficient resource use.

We affirm that a skilled workforce and an increased awareness of applications are essential for the progress of QIST and the development of quantum-enabled economies, and diverse efforts are required to encourage broad and inclusive participation in QIST, including public awareness campaigns, educational initiatives, apprenticeships, quantum and interdisciplinary skill building, and reskilling programs.

We acknowledge that the QIST ecosystem, consisting of stakeholders from various areas, including academia, government, and the private sector, is global and interconnected. The exchange and integration of ideas, expertise, and creativity is critical for expanding basic understanding and accelerating the deployment of QIST.

Building on the Agreement Relating to Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of the United States of America signed at Washington on July 2, 1999, as extended (the “S&T Agreement”), we intend to advance our shared vision of QIST as follows:

We intend to embark on good-faith cooperation underpinned by our shared values including freedom of inquiry, fair competition, openness and transparency, accountability and reciprocity, protection and enforcement of intellectual property, rigor and integrity in research, research security, and democratic values.

We commit to creating inclusive scientific research communities and tackle cross-cutting issues of common interest such as equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, so that every person is able to fully participate and have an equal opportunity to succeed.

We strive to facilitate interactions between government, academia, and the private sector to understand research trajectories in QIST. In turn, these interactions can lead to the identification of overlapping interests and opportunities for future scientific cooperation to accelerate the societal benefits of this nascent field and remain responsive to its as-yet-unknown implications.

We intend to enable opportunities to build a trusted global market and supply chain for QIST research and development (R&D), and support economic growth, by engaging the private sector and industry consortia.

We plan to leverage regular bilateral and multilateral opportunities to discuss QIST matters, including standardization, and technology protection considerations, where international collaboration is key.

We intend to promote joint research in QIST, including personnel exchanges and the sharing of QIST-related methodologies and data on voluntary and mutually agreed terms, to develop the next generation of scientists and engineers vital to expand the field. Cooperation pursuant to this Joint Statement is subject to the terms of the S&T Agreement.

The Republic of Korea and the United States of America look forward to deepened bonds of friendship and understanding between our two countries, and to mutual contributions to the enhancement of QIST, based on increased cooperation in the field.

Signed at Washington D.C., in two originals, in the English language.

For the Republic of Korea For the United States of America

Lee Jong Ho Arati Prabhakar

April 25th, 2023

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