▲ President Lee Jae Myung (R) and International Labour Organization Director-General Gilbert Houngbo shake hands ahead of their meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on May 22, 2026. (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) president-ILO chief

(2nd LD) Lee discusses S. Korea's labor policy in AI era with ILO chief

(ATTN: UPDATES with new info in last 2 paras)

SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung met with International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert Houngbo on Friday and discussed South Korea's labor policy in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).

Lee highlighted the influence the U.N. labor organization has had on South Korea's labor movement history, while expressing expectations for its future role in the AI era.

"At a time when the issue of job replacement by AI is becoming a major global topic, I have high expectations for the ILO's role," Lee told the ILO chief.

The president also asked for Houngbo's advice on the labor policy direction South Korea should pursue, while acknowledging the ILO's participation in the Global AI Hub, a platform South Korea plans to launch to promote cross-border cooperation in the AI sector in addressing disease control and other global challenges.

Nine global organizations, including the ILO, and five multilateral development banks are to join the initiative.

The ILO chief congratulated Lee on the planned launch, expressing his organization's readiness to join the platform and saying it would enable the maximum use of AI in the labor sector.

Houngbo also expressed gratitude for Seoul's contributions and donations to the ILO, noting that South Korea ranks among the organization's the top 10 donor countries.

During the meeting, Lee emphasized his government's labor policy direction centered on respecting the value of labor and its efforts to ensure that the spread of AI has a positive impact on the labor market, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing.

Houngbo, meanwhile, invited Lee to deliver an address at the ILO's general assembly in June next year on his government's labor policy.

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