JBNU Northeast Asia Law Research Institute's Virtual Commodities Law Center (Director: Professor Song Mun-ho), which researches various legal theories related to virtual assets, data, and artificial intelligence, has agreed to collaborate with the Institute of Artificial Intelligence Law at Southwest University of Political Science and Law (Director: Cheon Liang) to advance research in the field of AI law.

Recently, the Virtual Commodities Law Center has played a leading role in promoting "K-Law" and "K-Law Schools" through cooperation with universities in India, Taiwan, and other countries. Expanding the scope of cooperation to China to establish a collaborative research network in advanced legal fields such as artificial intelligence is therefore significant.

Song Mun-ho, Director of the Virtual Commodities Law Center at the Northeast Asia Law Research Institute, recently visited Southwest University of Political Science and Law in China and met with Cheon Liang, Director of its Institute of Artificial Intelligence Law, to discuss cooperation between the two institutions and ways to advance research in the field. The two parties signed an official agreement.

The Law School of Southwest University of Political Science and Law is a prestigious institution, ranked second among Chinese universities of political science and law and approximately fifth among all Chinese law schools. Its Institute of Artificial Intelligence Law is the first and only specialized interdisciplinary law education institution of its kind in China.

During the visit, attendees included Director Song Mun-ho; Li Yan, Party Committee Secretary of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence Law at Southwest University of Political Science and Law; Cheon Liang, Dean of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence Law; Jang Gwang-jun, Vice Dean of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence Law; Zhu Yiya, Director of Overseas Affairs, Office for International Cooperation and Exchange; Li Yang, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Commercial Law; and Chen Dafeng, Lecturer at the Institute of Artificial Intelligence Law. Dean Cheon presented the institute's curriculum and academic achievements.

Notably, the agreement includes plans by both institutions to jointly establish a Korea–China AI Law Research Association. Currently, only a few countries—including the United States, China, and South Korea—are regarded as capable of independently operating AI. Through this agreement, the association is expected to become a core forum for presenting diverse legal research and discourse on increasingly widespread AI in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era.

Starting with this collaboration, the Virtual Commodities Law Center plans to use South Korea as a hub to bring together India, China, Japan, Vietnam, and other countries to promote advanced science and technology and Korean law in major Asian countries, and to expand exchanges and cooperation.

Additionally, the two institutions agreed to exchange faculty to expand educational activities and to jointly engage in information exchange and the development of academic journals.

Song Mun-ho, Director of the Virtual Commodities Law Center at the Northeast Asia Law Research Institute, said, "We are planning to establish an Asian research network for virtual commodities law and AI law." He added, "We envision using South Korea as a hub to connect India, China, Japan, and Vietnam to promote the international expansion of Korean law in advanced science and technology legal fields and to expand exchange and cooperation."