From vocational training to AI governance: KOICA's evolving role in Central Asia

KOICA’s aid to Central Asia is shifting from vocational training and rural development toward AI and digital governance. Between 1992 and 2025, it provided about $440 million in ODA to the five Central Asian states, with Uzbekistan receiving the largest share. By 2026, 11 public-sector AI and digital governance projects were underway or preparing for launch across the region. Uzbekistan is the most active partner, with projects extending into e-government, legislation, disaster management and digital education.

Between 1992 and 2025, KOICA provided roughly $440 million in official development assistance to the five Central Asian states.

Education accounted for 30.2 percent of KOICA’s regional aid, public administration for 24.9 percent, and technology, environment and energy for 18.8 percent.

As of 2026, 11 AI and digital governance projects in the public sector were underway or preparing for launch across Central Asia.

Eight of those 11 projects were in Uzbekistan, including three dedicated to AI-powered e-government services.

Published Sep 16, 2026 12:00 pm KST

Updated Sep 16, 2026 12:12 pm KST

Officials from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Uzbekistan shake hands as they sign an agreement to establish a foundation for digital education at the IT Park high-tech complex in Uzbekistan in this undated photo. Courtesy of KOICA

Korea's development aid to Central Asia, once rooted in vocational training and rural development, is pivoting toward artificial intelligence (AI) and digital governance, a shift that mirrors both the region's ambitions and Seoul's strategy to build lasting partnerships amid a fast-changing geopolitical landscape.

Between 1992 and 2025, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) channeled roughly $440 million in official development assistance (ODA) to the five Central Asian states. Uzbekistan received the largest share, followed by Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Education took up the biggest slice at 30.2 percent, public administration accounted for 24.9 percent, while technology, environment and energy made up 18.8 percent.

For much of that period, KOICA's work in the region centered on conventional development needs: vocational training centers, primary health care programs, rural infrastructure and capacity building in the energy sector. The turning point came around 2021, when governments across Central Asia began pressing for digitized public services and information systems and turned to Korea's AI-driven solutions to get there.

The shift has been quick. As of 2026, 11 AI and digital governance projects in the public sector are either underway or preparing for launch across the region, spanning parliaments, public safety, disaster management, cultural heritage and education.

Kyrgyzstan runs its own digital gov't after 5-year Korean partnership

A local Uzbek instructor, trained under KOICA's instructional capacity-building program, conducts IT training for young people at IT Park in this undated photo. Courtesy of KOICA

11 projects, 5 countries, 1 digital shift

Uzbekistan stands out as the region’s most proactive adopter of digitalization and AI. Out of 11 ongoing projects across Central Asia, eight are based in Uzbekistan, including three dedicated to AI-powered e-government services.

The most visible case is KOICA's support for IT Park, a state-backed technology hub established in July 2019 under Tashkent's national digital strategy. Designated as an economic free zone with tax breaks and financial incentives for tenant companies, the complex was designed to attract foreign direct investment and foster the domestic IT sector from the ground up by driving information and communication technology (ICT) research, business incubation and workforce training.

Since 2021, KOICA has supported IT Park by establishing its operational model, building capacity for administrative staff and tenant companies and constructing IT network infrastructure, while delivering intermediate and advanced IT skills training and facilitating business process outsourcing partnerships between Korean and Uzbek enterprises.

The numbers alone are telling. After KOICA's support program wrapped up in 2025, total revenue for tenant companies surged 7.6-fold — from 2.5 trillion som ($210 million) to 19 trillion som.

That track record opened the door to deeper cooperation. In 2025, KOICA began working with the Uzbek government on AI-driven administrative cooperation, including legal services, a digital parliamentary system and a disaster management platform.

Kyrgyz IT officials manage systems inside the monitoring room at the G-Cloud Center, the nation’s first unified state data infrastructure made with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), in this undated photo. Courtesy of KOICA

Under a multiyear road map with KOICA, Korean AI algorithms will be integrated into specialized administrative workflows in Uzbekistan, including an intellectual property management project running through 2029 and a legal services environment development project through 2030. By 2030, Tashkent also aims to overhaul its public sector workforce by launching an AI policy master plan, introducing new work assessment tools, educator training and state-of-the-art digital learning platforms.

Beyond Uzbekistan's AI initiatives, KOICA is rolling out e-government projects across the region, drawing on Korea's own public administration models.

In Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, the agency is modernizing legislative processes through electronic parliamentary meeting and broadcasting systems, set for completion by 2027. Assistance in Tajikistan focuses on digitizing government data and workflows, while projects in Kyrgyzstan target broader public systems across both administration and parliament.

Uzbekistan's portfolio is the most diverse, stretching into areas such as an integrated geological hazard database and early warning system, digital cultural heritage management and virtual reality-based police training.

This photo shows digital infrastructure established under the G-Cloud initiative (2020-25) between Kyrgyzstan and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to build Kyrgyzstan’s digitized administrative system. Courtesy of KOICA

From support to bilateral partnership

KOICA's approach in Central Asia avoids direct systemic transfer. Because the five nations occupy distinct stages of development — with varying digital infrastructure, human resources, governance structures and policy priorities — the agency designs localized services tailored to each country's institutions and capacity, with the goal of ensuring long-term operational independence after assistance ends.

The philosophy aligns with Korea's Fourth Comprehensive Strategy for Development Cooperation, which emphasizes mutually beneficial growth, innovative execution using AI and ICT strengths and integrated development that links individual projects to broader outcomes.

Choi Jang-hoon, director of KOICA's Eurasia Team, said AI and digital technologies offer Central Asia a practical way to overcome the physical constraints of being a landlocked, mountainous region.

"Beyond improving governance and public services, these projects are accelerating the region's industrial transformation. Central Asian governments have shown strong interest in partnering with KOICA on AI and digital initiatives," Choi said.

He noted that digital ODA projects also open doors for Korean tech firms looking to enter Central Asian markets.

"Given the policy priorities on both sides and the direction of global industrial shifts, AI and digital cooperation between Korea and Central Asia is set to keep growing," he said.

KOICA will continue pursuing such initiatives to strengthen bilateral ties and foster mutually beneficial growth, Choi added.

KOICA considers national interest not as short-term economic gain, but as long-term, reciprocal benefits — where the sustainable growth of Central Asia strengthens Korea's diplomatic standing in the region, creates openings for bilateral partnerships in trade and technology and narrows the global digital divide in the process.

韩国国际合作机构（KOICA）对中亚的援助正从职业培训和农村发展转向人工智能和数字治理。1992年至2025年间，KOICA向中亚五国提供了约4.4亿美元的官方发展援助（ODA），其中乌兹别克斯坦获得的份额最大。到2026年，该地区已有11个公共部门人工智能和数字治理项目正在实施或准备启动。乌兹别克斯坦是最积极的合作伙伴，其项目涵盖电子政务、立法、灾害管理和数字教育等领域。

1992 年至 2025 年间，韩国国际合作署 (KOICA) 向中亚五国提供了约 4.4 亿美元的官方发展援助。

教育领域占韩国国际合作署（KOICA）区域援助的 30.2%，公共管理领域占 24.9%，技术、环境和能源领域占 18.8%。

截至 2026 年，中亚地区公共部门共有 11 个人工智能和数字治理项目正在进行或准备启动。

这 11 个项目中有 8 个位于乌兹别克斯坦，其中 3 个致力于人工智能驱动的电子政务服务。

发布于2026年9月16日韩国时间下午12:00

更新于2026年9月16日下午12:12（韩国标准时间）

这张未注明日期的照片显示，韩国国际合作机构（KOICA）和乌兹别克斯坦的官员握手，签署了一项协议，将在乌兹别克斯坦IT园区高科技园区内建立一个数字教育基金会。照片由KOICA提供。

韩国对中亚的发展援助曾经以职业培训和农村发展为重点，如今正转向人工智能（AI）和数字治理，这一转变既反映了该地区的雄心壮志，也反映了首尔在快速变化的地缘政治格局中建立持久伙伴关系的战略。

1992年至2025年间，韩国国际合作机构（KOICA）向中亚五国提供了约4.4亿美元的官方发展援助（ODA）。乌兹别克斯坦获得的援助金额最大，其次是吉尔吉斯斯坦、哈萨克斯坦、塔吉克斯坦和土库曼斯坦。教育领域占比最高，达30.2%；公共管理领域占24.9%；技术、环境和能源领域占18.8%。

在那段时间的大部分时间里，韩国国际合作署（KOICA）在该地区的工作主要集中在传统的经济发展需求上：职业培训中心、基层医疗卫生项目、农村基础设施以及能源领域的能力建设。转折点出现在2021年左右，当时中亚各国政府开始呼吁实现公共服务和信息系统的数字化，并转向韩国的人工智能解决方案来实现这一目标。

这一转变速度很快。截至2026年，该地区公共部门已有11个人工智能和数字治理项目正在进行或准备启动，涵盖议会、公共安全、灾害管理、文化遗产和教育等领域。

吉尔吉斯斯坦在与韩国开展为期五年的合作后，建立了自主的数字政府。

这张未注明日期的照片显示，一位在韩国国际合作机构（KOICA）教学能力建设项目培训下的乌兹别克斯坦当地教师正在IT园区为年轻人进行IT培训。照片由KOICA提供。

11 个项目，5 个国家，1 次数字化转型

乌兹别克斯坦是该地区数字化和人工智能应用最积极的国家。在中亚地区正在进行的11个项目中，有8个位于乌兹别克斯坦，其中包括3个专注于人工智能驱动的电子政务服务的项目。

最引人注目的案例是韩国国际合作署（KOICA）对信息技术园区的支持。该园区是塔什干国家数字战略下于2019年7月设立的国有科技中心。作为经济自由区，园区为入驻企业提供税收减免和财政激励措施，旨在吸引外国直接投资，并通过推动信息通信技术（ICT）研究、企业孵化和人才培训，从根本上培育国内信息技术产业。

自 2021 年以来，韩国国际合作署 (KOICA) 通过建立运营模式、提升行政人员和租户公司的能力、建设 IT 网络基础设施，为 IT 园区提供支持，同时提供中级和高级 IT 技能培训，并促进韩国和乌兹别克斯坦企业之间的业务流程外包合作。

单看数字就足以说明问题。韩国国际合作署（KOICA）的支持计划于2025年结束后，租户公司的总收入激增7.6倍，从2.5万亿索姆（2.1亿美元）增至19万亿索姆。

这一合作历史为双方开展更深入的合作打开了大门。2025年，韩国国际合作署（KOICA）开始与乌兹别克斯坦政府在人工智能驱动的行政合作领域展开合作，合作内容涵盖法律服务、数字议会系统和灾害管理平台等。

这张未注明日期的照片显示，吉尔吉斯斯坦信息技术官员正在G-Cloud中心监控室内管理系统。G-Cloud中心是吉尔吉斯斯坦首个与韩国国际合作机构（KOICA）合作建设的统一国家数据基础设施。照片由KOICA提供。

根据与韩国国际合作署（KOICA）达成的多年路线图，韩国人工智能算法将被整合到乌兹别克斯坦的专业行政工作流程中，包括一项持续到2029年的知识产权管理项目和一项持续到2030年的法律服务环境发展项目。到2030年，塔什干还计划通过启动人工智能政策总体规划、引入新的工作评估工具、开展教师培训和建设最先进的数字学习平台，来彻底改革其公共部门劳动力队伍。

除了乌兹别克斯坦的人工智能计划外，韩国国际合作署（KOICA）还借鉴韩国自身的公共管理模式，在该地区推广电子政务项目。

在吉尔吉斯斯坦和乌兹别克斯坦，该机构正在通过电子议会会议和广播系统实现立法程序的现代化，预计将于 2027 年完成。在塔吉克斯坦的援助重点是政府数据和工作流程的数字化，而吉尔吉斯斯坦的项目则针对行政和议会等更广泛的公共系统。

乌兹别克斯坦的投资组合最为多元化，涵盖了综合地质灾害数据库和预警系统、数字文化遗产管理以及基于虚拟现实的警察培训等领域。

这张照片展示了吉尔吉斯斯坦与韩国国际合作机构（KOICA）在G-Cloud计划（2020-2025年）框架下建立的数字基础设施，旨在构建吉尔吉斯斯坦的数字化行政系统。图片由KOICA提供。

从支持到双边伙伴关系

韩国国际合作署（KOICA）在中亚采取的策略避免直接的系统性转移。由于这五个国家的发展阶段各不相同——数字基础设施、人力资源、治理结构和政策重点也存在差异——该机构设计了本地化的服务，使其符合每个国家的机构和能力，目标是在援助结束后确保其长期的运营独立性。

这一理念与韩国第四次全面发展合作战略相一致，该战略强调互利共赢的增长、利用人工智能和信息通信技术优势进行创新执行以及将单个项目与更广泛的成果联系起来的综合发展。

韩国国际合作署欧亚团队主任崔章勋表示，人工智能和数字技术为中亚提供了一种切实可行的方法，以克服作为内陆山区所面临的物理限制。

“除了改善治理和公共服务外，这些项目还在加速该地区的产业转型。中亚各国政府对与韩国国际合作署在人工智能和数字化项目上开展合作表现出浓厚的兴趣，”崔说。

他指出，数字 ODA 项目也为希望进入中亚市场的韩国科技公司打开了大门。

“鉴于双方的政策重点和全球产业转移的方向，韩国与中亚之间的人工智能和数字合作必将继续增长，”他表示。

崔补充说，韩国国际合作机构将继续推进此类举措，以加强双边关系，促进互利共赢的发展。

韩国国际合作机构 (KOICA) 认为国家利益并非短期经济利益，而是长期互惠互利——中亚的可持续发展能够增强韩国在该地区的外交地位，为双边贸易和技术伙伴关系创造机会，并在此过程中缩小全球数字鸿沟。