Chairman Gu Jayeol: "Korea and Japan Need Cooperation in Power, Minerals, and AI... Let's Create a Second JAKO Project"

Opening of the 58th Korea-Japan Business Conference

Courtesy Visit to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi the Previous Day

Gu Jayeol, Chairman of the Board at LS, stated, "There will likely be meaningful progress in Korea-Japan relations this year," and specifically proposed cooperation in the fields of electricity, minerals, and artificial intelligence (AI).

On May 19, during his opening remarks at the 58th Korea-Japan Business Conference held at The Okura Tokyo Prestige Tower, Chairman Gu said, "Korea and Japan are facing common contemporary challenges, including the rise of protectionism and wars worldwide, supply chain restructuring driven by intensifying U.S.-China conflict, rapid population aging, climate crisis, and the race for AI supremacy." He then presented three cooperative measures to tackle these issues.

On the 19th, at the 58th Korea-Japan Businessmen's Meeting, Gu Ja-yeol, Chairman of the Korea-Japan Economic Association, is delivering the opening address. Korea-Japan Economic Association

The first is cooperation in energy and power infrastructure. Chairman Gu emphasized, "As countries heavily dependent on energy imports, Korea and Japan need to rebuild their security cooperation framework for power and communications infrastructure to respond to the rapidly growing electricity demand in the AI era." He called for collaborative projects such as 'JAKO' in the next-generation power infrastructure sector. The JAKO project is a joint initiative by the two countries with global tech giants such as Microsoft and Amazon to lay a 260-kilometer submarine optical cable connecting Busan and Fukuoka, aiming to build a high-speed data network by 2027.

Chairman Gu also highlighted the concentration of critical minerals essential for power infrastructure, such as rare earth elements, in certain countries. He pointed out, "Countries possessing rare earth elements are increasingly weaponizing these resources, controlling exports and jeopardizing the entire global industrial base." He stressed, "Korea and Japan should establish a supply chain alliance by creating joint critical mineral funds and securing long-term supply contracts to stabilize the manufacturing base."

Lastly, he selected AI and robotics cooperation for manufacturing as a key area. Chairman Gu noted, "Korea has strengths in smart factories, process automation, and data-based production operations, while Japan possesses world-class competitiveness in sensors, precision machinery, and control and safety technologies." He added, "If Korea and Japan jointly conduct physical AI trials and accumulate shared safety standards and test protocols centered on manufacturing sites, they can differentiate themselves from other countries."

On the 18th, the Korean delegation leaders of the Korea-Japan Economic Meeting took a commemorative photo after paying a courtesy call on Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi before the meeting. Korea-Japan Economic Association

This Korea-Japan Business Conference is the first to be held since the appointment of new presidents to both countries' economic associations. Led by Chairman Gu, the Korean delegation leaders paid a courtesy visit to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi the previous day, expressing both countries' commitment to economic cooperation. Prime Minister Takaichi is scheduled to meet with President Lee Jaemyung for a summit in Andong, Korea, today. The Korean delegation, including Chairman Gu, Ja Eun Gu, Chairman of LS Group, Dongbin Shin, Chairman of Lotte Group, and Jeongwon Park, Chairman of Doosan Group, consisted of about 130 participants.

In his opening remarks, Koji Akiyoshi, Chairman of the Japan-Korea Economic Association and head of the Japanese delegation, responded, "We are living in an era of change, and Korea and Japan should demonstrate the significance and value of cooperation through concrete actions. While our business leaders may not always make perfect choices, it is possible to share the direction we should pursue and indicate the next steps forward."

On the second day of the conference, May 20, business leaders from both countries will adopt a joint statement and bring the event to a close.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.