The Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) announced that, on Thursday, Feb. 5, it held a high-level meeting with the French National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) at the Embassy of France in Seoul, Republic of Korea, to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France.

Minister Kim Yong Sun and Director General Pascal Faure complimented the commitments and contributions both sides have made to advancing their cooperative relationships. They signed the 2026 Work Plan that outlines concrete implementations of the collaborative projects in examiner exchange, examination of AI-related inventions, intellectual property financing, and enhancement of IP protection and enforcement against counterfeiting and online infringement. They also agreed to renew their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on comprehensive IP cooperation within the year, reflecting shared interests which extend to the above-mentioned areas.

Following the meeting the 'Franco-Korean IP Day Roundtable' was held under the theme "Navigating Innovation & AI: New Challenges for IP" Minister Kim, Director General Faure, Ambassador of France to Korea Philippe Bertoux, and 60 other IP experts from patent attorney associations and companies joined the efforts to pool insights on the challenges, opportunities and implications for the IP stakeholders the AI era presents.

Minister Kim highlighted that the milestone anniversary offers a valuable occasion to reinforce Korea-France cooperation in intellectual property. He emphasized that MOIP will continue to expand collaborative initiatives to support business innovation and sustainable growth in the AI-driven era.

Source: https://www.kipo.go.kr/en/engBultnDetail.do?board_id=kiponews&cp=1&pg=1&npp=10&catmenu=ek06_01_01&seq=1826