India, South Korea discuss deeper cooperation in digital governance and public services

The talks between Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh and Korean Interior and Safety Minister Yun Hojung focused on a proposed MoU covering e-governance, AI applications in public services, capacity building and grievance redress systems. | Photo Credit: iStockphoto

India and South Korea on Saturday discussed possible cooperation between the two countries in digital governance, e-government, public administration, capacity building and citizen-centric service delivery.

The discussion came up during a meeting between Republic of Korea Minister of Interior and Safety Yun Hojung and Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh.

The two leaders, accompanied by respective delegations, held bilateral talks lasting over an hour, a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

Singh said that the ministries concerned of both the countries are in active discussion for finalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote cooperation in the field of public administration and government innovation.

Discussions between the two sides focused on strengthening collaboration in areas such as digital transformation of government services, application of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, in public administration, capacity building of civil servants, citizen participation in governance, and best practices in public grievance redressal systems, it said.

Welcoming the Korean delegation, Singh highlighted India’s significant strides in digital governance, public service delivery, and grievance redressal mechanisms under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Union minister said India and Korea are both vibrant democracies with shared values, heritage and commitment to rule of law.

He said that both the countries are bound together by the historical ties of the marital connection between Princess Suriratna of Ayodhya and King Suro of then Gaya’s confederacy and stressed that the strong bonds still have great resonance.

Singh also talked about the recent visit of President Lee Jae Myung that has led to forward-looking outcomes across key sectors including trade and investment, ports and maritime affairs, digital and fintech, science and technology, culture, sports, etc.

He highlighted Indiaâs initiatives such as CPGRAMS (Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System) portal, Digital Life Certificate for pensioners and the use of technology-enabled governance platforms to improve service delivery and transparency.

The Korean side shared experiences in smart governance, digital public services, and disaster and safety management, the statement said.