In the first quarter of 2024, South Korea, the US, and India will organize an informal ‘trilateral technology dialogue’.

The declaration was made on Friday, the same day that Seoul and Washington began their Next Generation Critical and Emerging Technologies Dialogue.

The two sides agreed to hold “National Security Council and National Security Office-led consultations with like-minded partners on critical and emerging technologies including through launching an informal trilateral technology dialogue with India in the first quarter of 2024".

This development coincides with India signing several agreements with developed nations to promote investment and innovation in vital technologies.

One well-known example is the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), which the US and India launched in 2022. This program aims to strengthen academic and business sector collaboration in strategic and defense technologies between the two nations.

“They reviewed progress on various areas of bilateral Special Strategic Partnership, including in trade and investment, defense production, semiconductors and EV battery technology. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues," said the ministry of external affairs at the time.

Additionally, Seoul and New Delhi have pushed for greater collaboration on vital technology. The topic came up during the September G20 leaders' conference in New Delhi during the bilateral discussion between President Yoon Seok-Yeol and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

An important area of focus for bilateral relations has been cooperation in developing and essential technologies.

This August in Seoul, the issue was brought up at a meeting between South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin and Deputy National Security Advisor Vikram Misri. With an emphasis on commerce, investment, and technological cooperation, the latter also traveled to India in April.

One of India's first diplomatic agreements on technology cooperation is the new dialogue mechanism between the US, Korea, and India. India does, however, participate in the four-nation Quad's efforts to work together on other technologies, including 5G and 6G.