Over 30 senior and mid-level civil servants from 11 countries across Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Asia-Pacific region have exchanged best practices and innovative solutions for effective public administration during a study visit to the Republic of Korea.
The activity focused on studying the Korean government’s Digital Government Platform (DGP), as well as other practices in cybersecurity, personal data protection, and the use of AI in digital services.
The study visit is part of an inter-regional project aimed at developing the capacity of civil servants to promote digital transformation and governance. This project is funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea and implemented in partnership with UNDP and the Astana Civil Service Hub.
Welcoming remarks were delivered by Byungjoon Park, Director of the Digital Government Cooperation Division at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) of the Republic of Korea; Jongsung Hwang, President of the National Information Society Agency (NIA) of the Republic of Korea; Alikhan Baimenov, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Astana Civil Service Hub; and David Almirol, Undersecretary for e-Government at the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) of the Philippines, representing the participating countries. The event underscored the importance of international collaboration in advancing digital government initiatives.
In his opening remarks, Alikhan Baimenov, noted that “this study visit offers not only the opportunity to learn but also to directly observe how digital transformation is implemented in the Republic of Korea in practice. This blend of theory and practice always distinguishes the Hub’s activities. Additionally, each country brings its unique experience to the table, enriching the collective discussions.”
As part of the three-day visit, delegates visited government and private organizations in Seoul, Sejong, and Anyang, attended a series of lectures, and learned about Korea’s best practices in digital governance and smart city innovation.
During the visit, Alikhan Baimenov, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the ACSH, had a bilateral meeting with Yongsuk Lee, Deputy Minister of the Digital Government and Innovation Office of the MOIS, where they discussed opportunities to further strengthen joint collaboration and identified key priorities related to the digitalization of public administration.
On the margins of the event, an important bilateral meeting was held with Jongsung Hwang, President of the National Information Society Agency (NIA). Both parties explored avenues for enhancing the ongoing partnership.
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The regional project “Capacity Building of Public Servants for Advancing Digital Transformation and Digital Governance” includes 12 countries from Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan), the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia), and the Asia-Pacific region (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, and the Philippines). Building on the successes of the previous project phase, the new three-year phase (2024–2026) features seminars, conferences, research, and study visits to the Republic of Korea, focusing on promoting digital transformation and governance.
