1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Human Development Report Office and UNDP Seoul Policy Centre, held an event in Seoul on Thursday, June 19, marking the launch in the Republic of Korea of the 2025 Human Development Report.

※ This local launch follows the global release of the 2025 Human Development Report in Brussels, Belgium, in May.

2. The Human Development Report, regularly published by UNDP since 1990, presents the Human Development Index (HDI), which is calculated through a comprehensive analysis of each country’s gross national income (GNI) per capita, life expectancy and years of schooling. The report is widely recognized for playing a pivotal role in shifting the focus of development from economic growth alone to a more holistic view of human well-being. In the latest report, the Republic of Korea’s HDI for 2023 stood at 0.937, ranking 20th among 193 countries.

※ Iceland 0.972 (1st), Norway and Switzerland 0.970 (2nd), Australia 0.958 (7th), New Zealand, Liechtenstein and USA 0.938 (17th), Japan 0.925 (23rd), France 0.920 (26th)

3. This year’s report projects that the increase of the global Human Development Index in 2024 would significantly slow down to its lowest level since the report was first compiled, and that the gaps between developed and developing countries will continue to widen. The report, titled “A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI,” emphasizes the need for proactive policy efforts to ensure that AI technologies contribute to inclusive development.

4. In his opening remarks, Park Jonghan, Director-General for Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressed that in the face of diverse challenges in the global development landscape, investment in quality education is key to preventing artificial intelligence (AI) technology from exacerbating development disparities. He also introduced the Republic of Korea’s robust development cooperation projects in technology and education.

5. Pedro Conceição, Director of UNDP Human Development Report Office and lead author of the Human Development Report, presented the main findings and stressed that while AI can be a powerful tool for human development, the future it would bring ultimately depends on the choices we make.

6. The event brought together participants from a wide range of sectors including diplomatic missions in the Republic of Korea, international organizations, public institutions, academia and the private sector, and featured in-depth discussions on the key themes of the 2025 Human Development Report such as the future direction of human development in the age of AI.

7. The Republic of Korea government has been supporting the publication of the Human Development Report since 2019 as part of its efforts to strengthen cooperation with UNDP, one of its priority partners in the field of development cooperation, and will continue to strengthen its strategic partnership with UNDP moving forward.