The Republic of Korea joined First Lady Melania Trump’s Fostering the Future Together initiative in a new Technology Prosperity Deal with the United States. The agreement, the first of its kind as part of Mrs. Trump’s new global coalition, highlights a shared commitment by first spouses of heads of governments around the world to empower children through the promotion of technology, innovation, and education.

“I am proud that the Republic of Korea is joining my global coalition to empower children through the promotion of technology, innovation, and education. As a longstanding leader in technological advancement, the Republic of Korea will offer invaluable insights to the participating nations in the Fostering the Future Together initiative,” asserted First Lady Melania Trump.

Developed by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in coordination with the Office of the First Lady, and signed during President Donald J. Trump’s visit to Asia, the U.S.-Korea Technology Prosperity Deal formalizes cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technology. The tech deal includes language reflecting the First Lady’s global initiative, which promotes the responsible use of advanced technology to support children, educators, and parents while protecting youth from online dangers.

BACKGROUND

Launched during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Fostering the Future Together will make available to countries around the world advanced technology, including AI, to assist children, educators, and parents while also protecting youth from online dangers. Major technology companies have developed such tools and agree to make these advancements available to participating countries, either at no cost or very low cost.

First spouses interested in participating in this initiative will work with their respective national governments to assess the different technologies available. They will engage in dialogues on how to best implement innovative technologies to create educational opportunities for the children of their country, train educators and parents, and design advanced learning environments for the future.

Mrs. Trump will invite Coalition Members to the Fostering the Future Together inaugural meeting in the White House in 2026 to discuss these important issues and opportunities. The meeting will be a forum for Coalition Members who have begun implementing their commitments to provide insight and recommendations surrounding advantages, risks, and potential policy ideas to the First Lady and other Coalition Members. The initiative builds upon the First Lady’s longstanding BE BEST platform and reflects her ongoing international engagement to advance the well-being of youth in the digital age.