2010-07 - Korea IT Times

Open GyeongGi-Do
Gyeonggi Province Pushes
for IT-Based Social Welfare Safety Net
Gyeonggi Province (www.gg.go.kr) is actively pushing ahead
with building an IT-based social welfare safety net.
Korea is one of the world's IT powerhouses and Gyeonggi
Province is the production base and the center of technology development
of such global IT companies as Samsung Electronics
and LG Electronics, Governor Kim Moon-soo said.
"The province will actively foster IT convergence technology,
green growth and ubiquitous technology as the next-generation
new growth engines to upgrade citizens' welfare level and create
more jobs," Gov. Kim said "Related to this, we will make all-out
efforts to maximize synergy effects by applying IT technology to
semiconductor, display, BT, NT, automobile and textile & material
sectors."
"In addition, we will graft ubiquitous technology on new generation
energy industry in keeping with the government's campaign
for green growth. For instance, we will foster solar energy industry,
supply LED and build various u-IT-based environment, including
u-City, u-floriculture and u-healthcare," he said.
He also said that the province plans to build "Gyeonggi G-free
zone" jointly with communication operators to enable use of
wireless Internet everywhere in the province, by 2014, leading the
mobile integration communication revolution.
"Through construction of information infrastructure, we can
create favorable environments for both residents and enterprises,
which will lead to strengthening of cooperative system and
smooth communication,' said Yang Jae-soo, advisor to the governor
of the province for information & communications.
Besides, Gyeonggi Province will build an industrial security
belt and create a special zone for safety-related companies, while
operating the cyber safety control center for small and mediumsized
enterprises, he said.
Kim Moon-soo, Governor of Gyeonggi Province
Mecca of contents industry
Commenting that the importance of the cultural content industry
is growing owing to speedy development of industrial structure,
high value added and big effects for creation of employment,
Yang said Gyeonggi Province plans to foster content industry as a
future-oriented growth engine.
"In keeping with the government's goal of achieving per capita
national income of USD 40,000, Gyeonggi Province plans to
raise per capita output in the province from USD 15,000 in 2008
to USD 40,000 in 2019 by developing contents industry," said the
advisor.
To this end, the province is propelling to create content industry
cluster comprising game, video, cartoon and publications, foster
manpower in the industry, as well as build a mutual cooperation
system between private and government sectors and between
large and smaller companies, he said.
"As part of efforts to build the content industry cluster, we will
actively foster the game industry in Seongnam City, cartoon and
animation in Bucheon City, broadcasting and video in Goyang
City and publication in Paju City," he explained.
The province attracted the global game hub center in June
2009, opened the game commercialization support center in
September 2009 and established the Gyeonggi mobile app support
center in June 2010. It plans to establish the Gyeonggi con-
44 KOREA IT TIMES | July 2010