Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March.

The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, and will be an opportunity to exchange views with participant countries on the theme of “AI/Digital Technology and Democracy”.

Prime Minister Luxon will also deliver a virtual address for the Leader’s plenary on 20 March focused on “Democracy for Future Generations”.

“Democratic values and freedoms are central to our identity as a nation and emerging digital technologies continue to evolve and impact our communities” said Minister van Velden.

“We want countries to be able to maximise the benefits of AI, while protecting against its potential harms. Our challenge is to work together to build an international environment where we can realise this.”

The Republic of Korea is New Zealand's sixth largest trading partner. Minister van Velden will engage with New Zealand businesses based in Seoul.

“As the first Minister to visit this year, I want to really understand what is going on for New Zealand businesses on the ground in Korea.”

The Minister will also visit the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between North Korea and South Korea, to meet the New Zealand Defence Force personnel stationed at the United Nations Command. She will also lay a wreath at the National War Memorial to pay respect to the 6000 New Zealanders who fought in the Korean War.

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