Under the theme "The Era of Legacy Cracking: The Frontline of Omnimodus," K.E.Y. PLATFORM 2025 explored the disruption of the traditional global order driven by the start of the second Trump administration and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI). Together with leading global experts, the conference examined strategic solutions for navigating this period of great transformation.

On the first day, Plenary Session 1 featured a discussion on Korea’s strategic responses with experts from The Heritage Foundation, a leading American think tank widely known for its deep understanding of the Trump administration. The foundation has previously provided policy recommendations to President Donald Trump. Panelists, including Anthony Kim (Research Fellow in International Economic Affairs at the Heritage Foundation), Nile Gardiner (Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation), and Eric Hontz (Director of the Center for Accountable Investment at CIPE), shared insights on the intensifying U.S.–China rivalry and rising global uncertainty. They also predicted that the Korea-U.S. alliance would further strengthen.

The conference also proposed solutions for reinforcing Korea’s competitiveness and opportunities in the global race for AI leadership. Professor Hye-Sun Yoon of Hanyang University School of Law, a leading expert in AI governance and regulation who serves on multiple government AI committees and academic societies, delivered a keynote titled “Korea as a Key AI Platform: Shaping the Institutional Frontier in the Global AI Landscape.” Professor Yoon emphasized that in addition to technological capabilities, strong institutional competitiveness is essential for Korea to secure a firm position in the global AI landscape.

On the second day, Plenary Session 2 focused on the theme “A New Narrative for K-Bio: Global Preemption through AI Frontline.” Experts presented visions and strategies for strengthening the global competitiveness of Korea’s biotechnology industry, advocating for long-term global expansion strategies over short-term efficiency-driven approaches. Jenny Chu, Chairwoman of The Korea Conference, benchmarked against Israel’s successful startup ecosystem, noted that the rapid evolution of AI presents major opportunities for the biotech industry.

While the Plenary Sessions represented the essence of K.E.Y. PLATFORM as an international forum addressing the defining agendas of our time, the Special Sessions explored specific topics across diverse fields in greater depth. Korea’s leading national research institutes—including KISTEP and KISTI—have continued to join to showcase emerging technologies shaping the future, including AI, biotechnology, and quantum computing.

Promising AI startups from Korea and abroad also participated, exchanging ideas and sharing business experiences while identifying both the strengths and challenges within Korea’s AI ecosystem. In the session “Building a Global Startup City,” discussions focused on how to build an innovation ecosystem to support the next generation of startups and entrepreneurs. Against the backdrop of a new era of global transformation following the inauguration of the second Trump administration, K.E.Y. PLATFORM 2025 concluded successfully, leaving both speakers and participants with profound insights and inspiration.