EDCF Invites Officials from 19 Countries to Workshop on AI and Digital Transformation Cooperation

[Financial News] The Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) is inviting officials from 19 partner countries to the 32nd EDCF Cooperation Workshop for Developing Countries.
According to Korea Eximbank, which operates the EDCF, officials from Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Senegal, Colombia, Bolivia and Ecuador attended the workshop, which runs from the 10th through the 13th. A total of 21 director- and division chief-level officials from finance ministries and ministries responsible for infrastructure in their respective countries, along with five local employees specializing in official development assistance (ODA) at Korea Eximbank’s overseas offices, are scheduled to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation.
In connection with the 2026–2028 EDCF Medium-Term Operational Plan, this is drawing attention as a sustainable future growth driver for developing countries. Participants will learn about Korea’s development strategies and the direction of next-generation AI and digital ODA through lectures including “Korea’s International Development Cooperation and Economic Development” by Choi Chang-yong, a professor at Seoul National University, and “ODA Cooperation Strategies in the AI Sector” by Lee Ki-young, a senior researcher at the National Information Society Agency (NIA). The program also includes hands-on visits to advanced industrial sites, including the Seoul AI Smart City Center.
Launched in 1995, the EDCF Cooperation Workshop for Developing Countries has become a flagship training program that introduces Korea’s economic development experience and EDCF loan system to senior economic officials from partner countries, while fostering mutual understanding and building professional networks. This training program also includes cultural activities that offer participants the chance to experience Korea’s history and distinctive culture firsthand, such as visits to historic palaces and traditional Korean cuisine.
Abrorjon Yuldashev, a division director at Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Digital Technologies, said, “The Uzbek government is making the development of a nationwide AI ecosystem and the introduction of smart public services key priorities. I will see Korea’s AI technologies firsthand and actively apply them to our digital development strategy and the identification of new EDCF projects.”
Eom Seong-yong, vice president of Korea Eximbank and head of its economic cooperation division, emphasized, “The EDCF workshop is more than a forum for sharing Korea’s economic development experience; it is a key platform for building economic cooperation networks with our key partner countries. I hope this training will lead to more active development of high-value-added ODA projects that combine partner countries’ digital transformation needs with Korea’s strengths in information technology (IT) and AI.”
[email protected] Park Mun-su Reporter