S. Korea to host U.N. Public Service Forum in Incheon next month

South Korea will host the annual U.N. Public Service Forum next month to discuss ways to enhance capabilities in the public sector through digital transformation and artificial intelligence in the face of global challenges, the interior ministry said Friday. The 2024 UN Public Service Forum will be held at the Songdo Convensia convention center in Incheon, west of Seoul, from June 24-26, jointly led by the interior ministry and the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). It marks the first offline forum to be organized since the COVID-19 pandemic, with South Korea being the first country to host the forum twice after its first run in 2014. This year's forum, held under the theme of "Fostering Innovation amid Global Challenges: a Public Sector Perspective" will navigate possible policy options in which governments can harness innovation through digital transformation and AI in the public sector. The three-day forum will include plenary sessions, a minister-level roundtable and workshops, with over 1,000 foreign guests from 100 countries expected to join from abroad, along with senior-level officials and scholars, including Interior Minister Lee Sang-min and Under-Secretary-General of UN DESA Li Junhua. During the closing ceremony, 15 awards will be given in three categories, including innovation in public institutions, gender responsiveness and tackling climate change. A public service innovation exhibition will be displayed at the same convention center for the duration of the forum. Source: Yonhap News Agency