South Korea’s Ministry of Government Legislation on Friday launched the Council of Asian Legislative Institutions — a new multilateral platform established with Mongolia, Thailand and Uzbekistan to foster legal cooperation and joint legislative development across Asia.
The launch ceremony, held in Seoul, was attended by officials from South Korea and abroad, including Pakorn Nillprapunt, secretary-general of the Thai Cabinet Secretariat, and Ikramov Muzraf, vice minister of justice of Uzbekistan. Representatives of the founding members signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize the body’s establishment.
“The establishment of this council goes beyond cooperation between individual countries; it creates a lasting framework for legislative collaboration on common issues across Asia,” said Cho Won-cheol, minister of government legislation.
“We will work actively to promote shared legal development and enhance cooperation within the region.”
The council aims to serve as a forum for policy dialogue and collaborative research on emerging cross-border issues — including artificial intelligence, digital transformation and climate change — while facilitating practical exchanges to modernize and harmonize legal systems across Asia, the ministry said.
According to the ministry, Vietnam and Cambodia also expressed support for CALI’s creation and are considering joining the organization. As the operating secretariat, the ministry plans to expand membership and lead projects that yield tangible results, the ministry added.
Following the ceremony, the 13th Asian Legislative Experts Symposium — a separate annual forum for regional legal cooperation — was convened under the theme “Legal Development for the Digital Economy in the Era of Everyday AI.”
Officials and experts from South Korea, China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Mongolia shared national strategies on digital legislation, data protection and AI ethics, highlighting the growing urgency of establishing coherent regional norms amid fast-evolving technologies.
Participants discussed how existing legal systems can adapt to AI-driven industries, address algorithmic accountability and safeguard individual rights in digital environments.
The symposium also explored potential areas of collaboration between CALI member states and ALES participants, underscoring the role of both platforms as complementary channels for advancing Asia’s collective legal capacity and policy coordination in the digital age.
“Through both CALI and ALES, we aim to foster a cooperative ecosystem that allows Asia to respond collectively to the challenges of the AI era,” Cho said.
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