South Korea has officially joined the United States and several key allies in signing the Pax Silica declaration, a diplomatic initiative focused on building trusted supply chains for artificial intelligence (AI), critical minerals, and advanced manufacturing. The signing took place during the inaugural Pax Silica summit in Washington on December 12-13, 2025.
The coalition, spearheaded by the U.S., includes Australia, Japan, Israel, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. While the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates participated in the summit, they did not formally join the declaration. South Korea was represented by its Second Vice Foreign Minister, Kim Jina.
The declaration's name, derived from Latin, signifies "peace, stability, and long-term prosperity", with "silica" referencing silicon, a critical element for computer chips that power AI systems. The initiative is a strategic move to counter China's influence and control over strategically vital resources and the global AI supply chain.
The agreement outlines broad areas of collaboration, including frontier AI models, software platforms, network infrastructure, mineral refining, energy, transportation logistics, and information connectivity. It emphasizes the importance of fair market practices and joint efforts to combat market distortions, overcapacity, and unfair dumping to preserve a level playing field for innovation.
Minister Kim highlighted South Korea's commitment to leveraging the strengths of its companies in batteries, semiconductors, and energy to promote supply chain stability. The declaration explicitly states its goal is to reduce excessive dependencies and forge new connections with reliable partners committed to fair practices.
Notably, the declaration and related reports contain no direct mention of cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology, or digital assets. The focus is squarely on geopolitical and economic security within the AI and critical materials sectors, with no immediate implications noted for cryptocurrency markets.
