Kazakhstan, S. Korea boost archival cooperation with focus on AI and digitalization

The memorandum was signed by Kazakh Presidential Archive Director Aliya Mustafina and National Archives of Korea President Lee Yong-chul during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s official visit to South Korea. The agreement marks the continuation of a partnership that is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

The new memorandum expands bilateral cooperation in the archival sector and covers professional exchanges and training, joint research, participation in international educational programs and professional events.

The sides also discussed prospects for cooperation in the digital transformation of archival work and the use of artificial intelligence technologies. Kazakhstan sees cooperation with South Korea, a global leader in digital technologies and e-government, as an opportunity to introduce new technological solutions into its archival system.

Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea are linked by friendly and dynamically developing relations. I am confident that cooperation between our archives can become another important area for strengthening professional and humanitarian ties between our countries, said Mustafina.

She added that Kazakhstan highly values the Korean side’s readiness to cooperate and expects the memorandum to lead to concrete joint projects and new initiatives.

Cooperation between the Archive of the President of Kazakhstan and the National Archives of Korea began on October 28, 2016, when the sides signed their first memorandum during a visit by the Kazakh Presidential Archive’s leadership to Seoul.

From 2017 to 2019, specialists from the Kazakh Presidential Archive underwent training in South Korea through the international Records and Archives Management Program, studying Korean practices in electronic document management, digital preservation, digitization and restoration of archival materials.

Korean archivists have also regularly participated in projects organized by Kazakhstan’s Presidential Archive. Representatives of the National Archives of Korea served as experts and lecturers at the International Summer School for Young Archivists, sharing their experience in electronic records management and archival digitization.

In 2022, Korean specialists also participated in the First Congress of Archivists of Kazakhstan, where they presented South Korea’s experience in document management standardization.

The two countries’ archival cooperation also has an important historical and humanitarian dimension. Kazakhstan’s Presidential Archive holds documents on the history of Koreans in Kazakhstan, covering significant events of the 20th century.

The materials are of interest to researchers in both countries and provide an opportunity to study the history of the Korean diaspora, including its resettlement, adaptation and contribution to Kazakhstan’s development.

Earlier, Qazinform reported South Korea’s CONTEC eyes localizing satellite component production in Kazakhstan.