Commissioner KIM Wan Ki of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) delivered a keynote address at the 66th General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on July 8 at WIPO Headquarters in Geneva. In his speech, he underscored the critical role of intellectual property (IP) in fostering innovation and overcoming global economic challenges.


Commissioner Kim emphasized that, despite global economic uncertainties, innovation and IP activities have continued to grow, evidenced by rising international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). He stressed that a robust IP ecosystem is vital to driving innovation and achieving economic recovery.

He also introduced KIPO's recent initiatives, including the application of artificial intelligence (AI) throughout the patent administration process, the recruitment of private-sector experts as patent examiners to enhance examination quality, and the development of an AI-powered monitoring system to curb the distribution of counterfeit goods online.

Commissioner Kim highlighted Korea's efforts to close the global IP gap by actively supporting capacity building for youth, women, and small and medium enterprises in developing countries through the Korea Fund-in-Trust, established at WIPO in 2004. He reaffirmed Korea's commitment to further strengthening cooperation with WIPO in this area.


On July 7, Commissioner Kim also participated in a high-level roundtable discussion hosted by WIPO Director General Daren Tang, centered on the theme "Shaping the Future of Innovation." He addressed the need for a strategic shift in a national IP policy in response to demographic changes.

He noted that the Republic of Korea has previously driven GDP growth by increasing R&D personnel and patent filings. However, with the onset of population stagnation and aging, this quantitative growth model is reaching its limits. As a solution, Kim proposed a pivot toward securing high-value "premium patent" and adopting IP strategies that leverage AI and big data in research and development.


During the Assembly, Commissioner Kim held bilateral meetings with heads of major IP offices.

In his meeting with Coke Stewart, Acting Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the two sides agreed on the importance of strengthening WIPO's role in areas such as the Global Assignment* system, trade secret protection, and anti-counterfeiting measures.

*The Global Assignment system is an initiative to enable unified application procedures for IP transfers across jurisdictions.

Commissioner Kim met for the first time with Mr. Kasai Yasuyuki, newly appointed Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office (JPO), where both parties expressed their intent to maintain close cooperation moving forward.

In discussions with Joao Negrao, Executive Director of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the two leaders explored areas for international collaboration on IP protection, including joint participation in the Anti-Counterfeiting Technology Conference. They also agreed to renew their bilateral Memorandum of Understanding during Director Negrao's planned visit to Korea in September, with a view to expanding future cooperation.

Source: https://www.kipo.go.kr/en/engBultnDetail.do?board_id=kiponews&cp=1&pg=1&npp=10&catmenu=ek06_01_01&seq=1799