Major business associations in Korea and Japan released Wednesday a joint statement calling for stronger industrial cooperation between the two countries in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). The Joint Proposal for AI Era Cooperation between Korea and Japan was issued by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) and Japan Association of Corporate Executives, or Keizai Doyukai. The proposal reflects the results of four rounds of bilateral economic roundtables held over the past two years, according to KITA. The proposal was also made as Korean President Lee Jae Myung was visiting Japan for summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, where the two leaders agreed to launch working-level consultations on AI and intellectual property rights. In the joint proposal, KITA and Keizai Doyukai welcomed the two governments' commitment to strengthening future-oriented cooperation amid global uncertainties stemming from supply chain instability and geopolitical risks. They proposed three objectives for industrial cooperation between Seoul and Japan: development of autonomous