Contents - Korea IT Times
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Contents - Korea IT Times
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<strong>Contents</strong><br />
June 2007 / Vol. 36<br />
40 <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Korea</strong> Analysis<br />
27 Design Forum 47 FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2007<br />
Graphic Design _ Kang Mun-suk<br />
10 Publisher's Message<br />
Virtual Reality<br />
FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2007<br />
Convergence of Design and <strong>IT</strong> Forum<br />
11 Editorial<br />
‘Ware the Uncanny Valley<br />
14 Hot Issue<br />
Future Code-named Santa Rosa<br />
15 <strong>Korea</strong>-US FTA Affects <strong>IT</strong><br />
16 Converged Services<br />
17 IBM to Combat Data Center Energy<br />
Crisis<br />
18 Scenario<br />
Information Stream<br />
20 In Depth Report / Hanaro Telecom<br />
Who Will Hold Hanaro?<br />
22 Virtual Reality<br />
<strong>IT</strong> Enterprises Run to Second Life<br />
24 Academia<br />
Adapting to Convergence<br />
27 Consumer-oriented Design<br />
28 FEZ<br />
Graduating in 2009<br />
29 New Product<br />
Emotional, Technological Revolution<br />
30 Environment Day<br />
Eco-Friendly Key to Competitiveness<br />
32 Environmental Technology Frontrunner<br />
34 Policy Direction<br />
Using Digital Information for Analog<br />
Information Flow<br />
36 Information Culture Month<br />
Information and Communication<br />
Yesterday and Today<br />
37 Series of Fortunate Events<br />
38 Open <strong>Korea</strong><br />
Asian games to Mark Incheon as One of<br />
World’s Top 10 Cities<br />
40 Preview Event<br />
United Cities, Local Governments World<br />
Congress in Jeju<br />
42 <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference 2007<br />
Enabling Fusion of Technology, Digital<br />
Convergence<br />
44 Greater Budget Backing Educational<br />
Industrial Collaboration<br />
45 Data, Information, Knowledge<br />
46 Google Chairman<br />
Eric Schmidt Goes After Windows<br />
47 Cover Story<br />
Robot Industry Overview<br />
48 Robots, an Expert’s View<br />
50 One Robot in Every Household (MOCIE)<br />
51 Samsung Techwin -- From Manned<br />
Security to Unmanned Security<br />
52 From One Technical Challenge to<br />
Another<br />
54 Robotics in Sports, Education<br />
56 Android Soccer Success<br />
58 European Robot Soccer Teams Play<br />
Second Fiddle to <strong>Korea</strong><br />
60 Ocean Day<br />
Aiming for Top 5 Ocean Superpower<br />
62 KCTA 2007<br />
Mature Technology Industry<br />
Exhibition<br />
64 Microsoft Imagine Cup 2007<br />
<strong>IT</strong> Olympics Software Competition<br />
66 Analysis<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> Adapting?<br />
68 Global Match Making<br />
Channel-focused Security in <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
Market<br />
70 People & Events<br />
72 Expert Column<br />
Particle Accelerators, Favorite of<br />
Nanotechnology Age<br />
74 Financing<br />
Integrated Capital Market Law<br />
76 Essay<br />
Blue Horizon of Digital Hallyu VI<br />
78 Country Report<br />
Narrowing Digital Divide<br />
80 Dole : Most Trusted Company in <strong>Korea</strong><br />
81 EU Day : Peace, Prosperity, Security<br />
82 S&T Policy in Italy, Cooperation with <strong>Korea</strong><br />
84 Real-time News<br />
Open Letter from Kim Moon-soo<br />
85 <strong>Korea</strong>’s Software Exports on Rise<br />
86 Two New HSDPA Exclusive Phones<br />
90 News Briefs<br />
Parade of Nations<br />
Italy National Day<br />
Europe Day Reception<br />
91 Scholaships Recognize Extraordinary<br />
Visit from Royalty<br />
Annual <strong>Korea</strong>-Germany Association General Meeting<br />
Wines of Argentina First Grand Tasting in Seoul<br />
Chairman & Publisher<br />
Executive Advisor<br />
President-Publisher<br />
Special Advisor<br />
Supplement Director<br />
Managing Editor<br />
Senior Editor<br />
Editorial Director<br />
<strong>IT</strong> Industry Editors<br />
Business Editor<br />
Contributing Writers<br />
Staff Reporters<br />
Photographer<br />
Advertising Manager<br />
Art Director<br />
Designers<br />
Internet Manager<br />
Business Manager<br />
Circulation Manager<br />
Administration Manager<br />
PR Manager<br />
Sales & Marketing Manager<br />
Publication Team Manager<br />
Financial Auditor<br />
Financial Team<br />
Correspondents<br />
N.America<br />
Europe<br />
Southeast Asia<br />
Far East<br />
China<br />
Oceania<br />
SW Asia<br />
M.East<br />
Kim Tae -sub<br />
Han Kon- ju<br />
Chung, Monica Younboo<br />
Chang Hong-yul<br />
Kim Joo-hyung<br />
Yeo Hong-il<br />
Matthew Weigand<br />
Lee Kyong-hwan<br />
Lee Chung-moo<br />
Lee Kang-soon<br />
Koo Won-hum<br />
Chun, Clair Go-eun<br />
Yeon Choul-woong<br />
Lee Suk-woo<br />
Lee Kyung-min<br />
Shin Sung-won<br />
Jude Kim<br />
Kang Mun-suk<br />
Cho Hee-sang<br />
Ryu Mi-ja<br />
Bok Dong-kyu<br />
Kim Chang-ho<br />
Park Mi-jung<br />
Kim Si-hwan<br />
Kim Rae-ho<br />
Yoon Jong-jin<br />
Yoon Hee-joo<br />
Choi Eun-kyung<br />
Cheon Hong-joo<br />
James Joo young-hoon<br />
Choi Young-zun. Lee Sung-ki<br />
Lee Jin-bok<br />
Kim Moon-soo<br />
Chun Jong-sung<br />
You In-kyung<br />
Choi Duk-hee<br />
Chung Jung-ja<br />
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8<br />
_ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES
Editorial<br />
* Virtual Reality<br />
* FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2007<br />
* Convergence of Design and <strong>IT</strong> Forum<br />
‘Ware<br />
the Uncanny<br />
Valley<br />
The Repliee Q1 Actroid robot looks<br />
strangely unsettling<br />
The days are heating up here in Seoul, and the trees are in full bloom. Its good to<br />
use this time to reflect on growth, and specifically in this magazine the growth of the<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n <strong>IT</strong> industry.<br />
Technology is changing the world every day, and yet the more it changes the more it<br />
stays the same. Virtual world creator Linden Labs created a place where the<br />
imagination of its users can run unrestricted. Now, corporations are also entering the<br />
virtual place, also trying to push their ideas in an unrestricted manner. What was once<br />
a virtual playground is now becoming more and more like the real world.<br />
And as the virtual world becomes more like reality, reality becomes more like a<br />
virtual world with the advancement of robot technology. The robotics industry in<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> is showing its strength in the FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2007 this year in San<br />
Francisco. Read all about the father of robotics in this issue, Kim Jong-hwan.<br />
Finally, the <strong>Korea</strong>n university Seoul National University of Technology was host to<br />
an international conference and symposium this month that spoke about the<br />
convergence of universal design and information technology. Universal design is<br />
something that most of the people in the world are familiar with, and deals with the<br />
look and feel of everything we use in our daily lives. As information technology<br />
becomes more and more a part of our daily life, universal design becomes imperative.<br />
Read about it in this issue as well.<br />
Kim Tae-sub<br />
Kim Tae-sub<br />
Chairman and Publisher<br />
As advances in robotics technology increase, robots are<br />
designed that look more and more like people. Robotics<br />
engineers often aim for a fully humanoid-looking robot<br />
that can mimic people in every way. However, that may not<br />
always be a good thing, due to the Uncanny Valley.<br />
The Uncanny Valley is a concept that was introduced by<br />
Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970. The idea is that<br />
humans respond to a robot with only a few human-like<br />
characteristics such as two eyes or speech in a positive way.<br />
Simply put, a boxy, awkward robot is cute. Robot designs that<br />
are more human-like in appearance cause normal humans<br />
respond to them in an increasingly positive way. A robot that<br />
looks like a child's toy is endearing. However, once a robot<br />
design passes a certain level of human-like appearance, normal<br />
people suddenly begin to respond very negatively to the robot.<br />
Said in another way, to design a robot that looks almost human<br />
is to design a monster.<br />
This means that if roboticists attempt to design a robot to<br />
look like a human they need to design a perfect imitation human<br />
or it is a complete failure. There is no room for mistakes.<br />
Now, at this time, many new android style robot designs are<br />
sitting squarely in the Uncanny Valley. For instance, the robot<br />
Actroid Repliee Q1<br />
A graph of the Uncanny Valley concept designed by Osaka<br />
University is<br />
considered to be an<br />
excellent example of<br />
this phenomenon.<br />
The robot almost<br />
looks like a young,<br />
pleasant Japanese<br />
girl. It mimics<br />
blinking, speaking<br />
and breathing.<br />
Repliee can also<br />
react quickly enough to push away<br />
a potential slap or poke.<br />
However, the robot fails to look<br />
human enough. It in fact<br />
maintains a strong and<br />
unmistakable air of creepiness.<br />
All kinds of people, young and<br />
old, men and women, respond<br />
to the robot with distrust or even<br />
disgust. It seems as if the robot<br />
is trying too hard, and failing, to<br />
be human. People respond to it<br />
like a monster. It is something<br />
out of the Uncanny Valley.<br />
A FIRA RoboWorld Cup<br />
soccer robot looks<br />
endearing<br />
Another example of this<br />
Uncanny Valley phenomenon is the Albert Hubo designed by<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).<br />
The robot is basically the same model as the Hubo also designed<br />
by KAIST, except the Albert Hubo has an animated human-like<br />
head that looks like Albert Einstein. It seems like Albert<br />
Einstein's head was taken from its grave and re-animated using<br />
artificial means, which could be the plot of a horror movie. The<br />
design is firmly within the Uncanny Valley.<br />
The normal model Hubo with a stylized head that looks like a<br />
computer monitor, on the other hand, elicits no such response<br />
from people. And the small, block-shaped soccer robots from<br />
KAIST that participate in the RoboWorld Cup each year do not<br />
look strange or threatening at all. They look like the best kind of<br />
toys.<br />
So while it is definitely a great technical challenge for<br />
roboticists to design and built a robot that looks, acts, and seems<br />
human, it might not be the best focus for the <strong>Korea</strong>n robotics<br />
industry. Cute, toy-like robots seem to be the way to go.<br />
1 0 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 1 1
Letters to the Editor<br />
Have your voice<br />
heard, and your<br />
opinion published.<br />
Our July edition of the <strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Times</strong> will<br />
include a new feature, Letters to the Editor.<br />
Have an insight, a correction, or a response to a<br />
story?<br />
Send it in to info@ittimes.co.kr, and tell us<br />
what you think. Selected messages each month<br />
will be published from all sides of an issue.<br />
See your words in print!<br />
1 2 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES
Hot Issue<br />
Future Code-named Santa Rosa<br />
Intel Turbo Memory (left) and Intel Next<br />
Generation Wireless<br />
Santa Rosa is the<br />
Intel's next generation<br />
platform that is based<br />
on Intel Centrino Duo<br />
and Intel Centrino Pro<br />
technology. The<br />
Santa Rosa used to be<br />
Intel's inside code<br />
name that the<br />
company used as they<br />
were developing the<br />
technology. It didn't<br />
take so long to be<br />
open to the public.<br />
Intel's platforms<br />
have always been the<br />
turning point of the<br />
PC industry. Not<br />
only does the new<br />
platform have<br />
upgraded performance, but it also drops the price of older<br />
products. Thus, the new platform encourages the<br />
popularization of PCs and the development of the new<br />
application industry. Every time Intel upgraded the platform,<br />
the devices for 3 Dimensional graphics and high quality<br />
images were also upgraded. Intel's platform not only applies<br />
to laptop PCs, but also to portable multimedia devices such as<br />
PDAs. This is exactly why information technology<br />
corporations pay high attention to Santa Rosa.<br />
To 286, and the Centrino<br />
A typical PC platform is composed of a Central Processing<br />
Unit (CPU), wireless LAN and a set of chips, including<br />
graphics and memory. The Santa Rosa Platform contains<br />
Intel Core2Duo 800MHZ processors and Intel 965 mobile<br />
chipsets and double memory as an option. Intel's next<br />
generation Centrino chipset has continuously evolved with<br />
Carmel, Sonoma, Napa, Merom and now Santa Rosa.<br />
Before the Pentium chip, there were microprocessors called<br />
the x86 series -- 286, 386 and 486. These evolutions are led<br />
by CPU information since it was the CPU that determined a<br />
PC's maximum speed. The microprocessor that impacted the<br />
industry a great deal was the chip 8086 and 8088 that IBM<br />
first invented for personal computers in 1979. The 286 PC in<br />
1982 came up with better speed and memory capacity.<br />
Multitasking was provided under the second mode. In 1993,<br />
Pentium operated at speeds of 60 and 66 MHZ, but it was<br />
soon terminated due to excessive heat and bugs. The code<br />
name P-54 then popped out to open up a whole new Pentium<br />
Era. Pentium II did not have a PIN and provided in Single<br />
Edge Contact (SEC) form.<br />
The Centrino processors we use nowadays were first shown<br />
in 2003. At that time, Centrino was composed of Pentium M<br />
CPU, an 855 main board chipset, and Intel Pro Wireless 2100<br />
Wireless LAN. This is not much different from the newest<br />
platform Santa Rosa. The focus of evolution of CPUs at the<br />
current point is how to reduce heat and energy waste while<br />
keeping the fast speed. Centrino Duo acts as if there are two<br />
heads, enabling fast speed and multitasking, but it really<br />
means energy saving because while one core operates, the<br />
other rests.<br />
Wireless service competitive to cable<br />
The Santa Rosa chip<br />
The Centrino is built to be competitive in the mobile<br />
environment. The PC that is mounted with the Santa Rosa<br />
platform will boot faster and have a faster access to wireless<br />
LAN. The speed of Wireless LAN is 135 Mbps maximum,<br />
which is 2.5 times faster than the 54 Mbps of a Napa PC.<br />
Even the chipset has met its whole new world with the 965<br />
Chipset, containing DDR2 800 MHz memory with built-in<br />
graphic chip, 965GM. This means Santa Rosa notebooks will<br />
give the best suitable condition for watching movies, working<br />
with 3D graphics and playing games.<br />
The most impressive news about Santa Rosa is its Turbo<br />
Memory (known as Robson) and 802. 11 Nano wireless LAN.<br />
This is the brand new and innovative technology that Intel<br />
applied to a desktop. The thing about the turbo memory is<br />
that it is optional to the consumers. The cost will add up if<br />
the turbo memory is added. The President of Intel <strong>Korea</strong> Lee<br />
Hee-sung noted: "I understand that it is not the best price for<br />
the consumers, yet we expect the technology to be<br />
universalized by the end of the year, enabling us to offer<br />
affordable price for turbo memory."<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>-US FTA Affects <strong>IT</strong><br />
The government revealed the full text of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA)<br />
between South <strong>Korea</strong> and the United States on May 25.<br />
Some analysts pointed out that there are still controversies over such issues<br />
as strengthening the crackdown on infringement of intellectual property rights<br />
and the application of international labor standards to Gaeseong Industrial<br />
Complex.<br />
In particular, as the United States is persistently raising possibility of<br />
renegotiations for the FTA. It is likely to face difficulties before it gains<br />
ratification from Congress.<br />
In the <strong>IT</strong> sector, both countries have agreed to expand the scope of the<br />
mutual recognition agreement (MRA) for communication equipment from the<br />
test score levels to product certificates.<br />
Accordingly, <strong>Korea</strong> can export communication equipment to the US with<br />
just a domestically made product certificate.<br />
Those offering Internet online services must offer individual information on<br />
invaders even without a warrant if owners of intellectual property rights<br />
request the information on the invaders when acts infringing intellectual<br />
property rights occurred on a relevant site. At the same time, a site allowing<br />
downloading without permission may be shut down.<br />
The crackdown on illegal copies and illegal printing were additionally<br />
confirmed. In particular, it concretely stipulated a crackdown on infringement<br />
of intellectual property rights.<br />
In the intellectual property protection field, those who filmed or were trying<br />
to film a movie through a video camera at a theater are to be punished.<br />
South <strong>Korea</strong> and the United States also agreed to apply safeguard measures<br />
more than once against the same product. The agreement also says that a party<br />
taking global safeguard measures may exclude imports of goods from the<br />
other party if such imports are not a substantial cause of serious injury or<br />
threat thereof.<br />
Under the agreement, South <strong>Korea</strong> maintains import safeguards on 30 types<br />
of agricultural products. But such protection measures on other agricultural<br />
goods are not stipulated in detail.<br />
South <strong>Korea</strong> wants the US to recognize goods made at the inter-<strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
industrial complex in North <strong>Korea</strong> as originating from South <strong>Korea</strong>. In<br />
principle, the deal raised the possibility of giving special tariff treatment to<br />
goods made in the Gaeseong Industrial Complex. The two sides agreed to<br />
establish an outward processing committee on the <strong>Korea</strong>n Peninsula to discuss<br />
the matter later.<br />
However, the deal requires goods made outside South <strong>Korea</strong> to follow<br />
international labor standards, a measure expected to dim the prospects for<br />
goods from the North <strong>Korea</strong>n industrial complex.<br />
At the same time, South <strong>Korea</strong> and the US agreed to immediately eliminate<br />
tariffs on imported cars with engine displacements of less than 3,000cc. Both<br />
sides agreed on a so-called snap-back system, which allows one of the two<br />
sides to withdraw the tariff-elimination measure if one party keeps its<br />
restrictions that materially affect sales, purchases and distribution.<br />
From OEM to ODM<br />
Large companies, including<br />
Samsung Electronics, LG<br />
Electronics and LG Philips LCD,<br />
have decided to change their parts<br />
purchase strategy from the original<br />
equipment manufacturer (OEM)<br />
method to the original design<br />
manufacturer (ODM) method.<br />
Samsung Electronics and LG<br />
Electronics have decided to give the<br />
right to supply mobile phone<br />
modules to specific subcontractors<br />
and the subcontractors will be in<br />
charge of design and mobilization<br />
of parts necessary for the<br />
manufacture of mobile phone cases,<br />
keypads and antennas, industry<br />
sources said.<br />
Along with this, Samsung<br />
Electronics and LG Philips LCD<br />
plan to apply such purchase<br />
methods to back light units (BLU),<br />
a core part of LCDs, from the latter<br />
half of this year.<br />
Until recently, Samsung<br />
Electronics and LG Electronics<br />
entrusted their subcontractors with<br />
simple manufacturing businesses,<br />
while taking responsibility of<br />
manufacturing almost all parts,<br />
including mobile phone cases and<br />
exterior modules, by themselves.<br />
Through this new method,<br />
Samsung Electronics plans to<br />
bolster its international<br />
competitiveness like advanced<br />
foreign companies such as Nokia, a<br />
company spokesman said.<br />
1 4 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 1 5
Hot Issue<br />
Super Slim AMOLED<br />
Developed<br />
Samsung SDI said it developed the<br />
world's thinnest 2.2-inch AMOLED,<br />
which touts a 320 x 240 resolution<br />
and 10,000:1 contrast ratio, a<br />
company spokesman said.<br />
The company plans to massproduce<br />
the 0.52-mm thin AMOLED<br />
from the third quarter of this year.<br />
Samsung SDI also projects to<br />
introduce super slim mobile phones<br />
with 5-mm in thickness, which<br />
adopted the thinnest AMOLED from<br />
the latter half, the spokesman said.<br />
Widely different from LCD,<br />
AMOLED does not require a<br />
backlight and color filter so that it<br />
can greatly reduce thickness, he said.<br />
Chairbot Takes Over<br />
After the Einstein robot the <strong>Korea</strong><br />
Advanced Institute of Science and<br />
Technology has developed the Hubo<br />
FX-1 chair bot. It is basically a chair<br />
with legs and can carry a human<br />
weighing upto 100 kgs. The person<br />
sitting can control the robot easily<br />
using the built in joystick. Each ankle<br />
has a 3-axis force/torque sensor<br />
which measures the normal force and<br />
2 moments. Each foot has an<br />
inclination sensor which measures<br />
the angle of the slope. HUBO FX-1<br />
is two meters in height, and weighs<br />
150 kg. It requires external power but<br />
in the long term KAIST aims to<br />
make it battery powered. Future<br />
application include carrying old and<br />
disabled persons and moving heavy<br />
loads. Military is also one of its<br />
future applications may be in a<br />
decade or so it will be running on<br />
fuel cells with a soldier mounted on<br />
firing rpg's and chain guns.<br />
Converged Services<br />
A brand new service will make a commercial debut in July in <strong>Korea</strong>. Critics say<br />
that the new service may redesign the market hegemony in the fields of information<br />
and communication. The designer is nothing but converged service of<br />
communication. Converged service means mixing one service with others to make<br />
a bundle of services. To take some examples, mobile phone service plus wireless<br />
broadband service, and wired phone service plus Voice over Internet Protocol<br />
(VoIP) will be available this coming July. WiBro and terrestrial digital multimedia<br />
broadcasting can be launched in the era of convergence between telecom and<br />
broadcasting. It will be jointly provided by the country's No. 1 broadband operator<br />
KT Corporation and largest broadcaster KBS.<br />
In this trend, no one can survive since converged service is firmly believed to<br />
draw more customer attention than solo services. For the customers' side,<br />
subscribing a bundle of service gives a benefit of price discount. Customers who<br />
pay 10 thousand won (US$9.75) for one specific service can use two different<br />
services at the same price thanks to converged service. Converging two or three<br />
services can lower the original total prices. It is a kind of synergy effect.<br />
The introduction of converged service was discussed for the first time last year<br />
after Roh Jun-hyung, minister of information and communication, took in office.<br />
Before his inauguration, telecom and broadband service companies had to run their<br />
own service without crossing over the different kinds of services owing to the<br />
regulations that prohibit the launching of converged services.<br />
Minister Roh, however, lifted the ban to give business chances to information and<br />
communication service providers. He had said: "It is ridiculous to keep the<br />
regulation in this era when various kinds of communication services, mobile,<br />
broadband, or DMB are flooding over the markets." Thus Ministry of Information<br />
and Communication, or MIC, revised the regulation to permit communication<br />
companies including leading ones like SK Telecom to launch converged services in<br />
coordination with others running different business of communication.<br />
KT, a leading broadband operator whose market share is about 50 percent, is<br />
waiting for July. According to sources, KT plans to connect its own business with<br />
mobile movies, TV dramas, video on demand, quizzes, games, electronic commerce,<br />
e-banking and interactive advertising events. KT can provide all these services<br />
through broadband, mobile networks and WiBro. For mobile service, KT can work<br />
together with its affiliate mobile company KTF. For other services KT has signed<br />
agreements with counterparts, for example movie producers, TVs, game companies<br />
and banks. The giant can provide a lot of converged service for its customers.<br />
A critic said that KT will be the most competitive company in the age of<br />
converged service with its strong broadband network and financial background.<br />
"The converged service will offer windows of opportunity, " Lee Sang-hoon, senior<br />
executive vice-president of KT's business development group, said.<br />
SK Telecom, a prominent market leader in mobile phone service, is forecasted to<br />
link its own service with other services like DMB. SK Telecom tries to cooperate<br />
with insurance companies. Critics say that SK Telecom's service is a hybrid one in a<br />
sense that a mobile service meets an insurance package. SK Telecom, however, has<br />
a limit of producing converged service because it does not have the broadband<br />
network that KT does. This handicap sometimes provokes a speculation that it<br />
would take over a broadband operator like Hanaro Telecom, second largest to KT.<br />
Hanaro Telecom has already launched some converged services. It could do the<br />
job because it is not a market-controlling company with its low market share.<br />
Companies with 50 percent or less of market share can provide converged services.<br />
Hanaro is offering triple services that combine broadband with hanaTV and wired<br />
phones at a low price.<br />
It is certain that converged services will set a new stage for every<br />
telecommunication service companies to open a new age.<br />
IBM to Combat Data Center<br />
Energy Crisis<br />
IBM project Big Green<br />
IBM announced in May it is redirecting US$1 billion per year across its<br />
businesses, mobilizing the company's resources to dramatically increase<br />
the level of energy efficiency in <strong>IT</strong>. The plan includes new products and<br />
services for IBM and its clients to sharply reduce data center energy<br />
consumption, transforming the world's business and public technology<br />
infrastructures into green data centers.<br />
The savings are substantial -- for an average 25,000 square foot data<br />
center, clients should be able to achieve 42 percent energy savings. Based<br />
on the energy mix in the US, this savings equates to 7,439 tons of carbon<br />
emissions saved per year.<br />
Called Project Big Green, IBM's initiative targets corporate data centers<br />
where energy constraints and costs can limit their ability to grow. The<br />
initiative includes a new global green team of more than 850 energy<br />
efficiency architects from across IBM.<br />
Today, according to analyst firm IDC, roughly 50 cents is spent on<br />
energy for every dollar of computer hardware. This is expected to<br />
increase by 54 percent to 71 cents over the next four years.<br />
"The data center energy crisis is inhibiting our clients' business growth<br />
as they seek to access computing power," said Mike Daniels, senior vice<br />
president, IBM Global Technology Services. "Many data centers have<br />
now reached full capacity, limiting a firm's ability to grow and make<br />
necessary capital investments. Today we are providing clients the IBM<br />
action plan to make their data centers fully utilized and energy efficient."<br />
IBM currently runs the world's largest commercial technology<br />
infrastructure, with more than eight million square feet of data centers in<br />
six continents. By using the same energy efficiency initiatives it is<br />
offering clients today, IBM expects to double the computing capacity of<br />
its data centers within the next three years without increasing power<br />
consumption or its carbon footprint. Compared to doubling the size of its<br />
data centers by building out new space, IBM expects this will help save<br />
more than five billion kilowatt hours of energy per year.<br />
Largest Monthly Exports<br />
in Nation's History<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> recorded the largest exports<br />
in its history in May after posting<br />
double-digit increase rates for 16<br />
consecutive months.<br />
According to data released by the<br />
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and<br />
Energy, last month's exports stood at<br />
US$31.25 billion, an 11.9% gain<br />
from last year's comparative figure.<br />
As for imports, the figure stood at<br />
US$29.77 billion, a 13.6% increase<br />
from a year ago. As for trade<br />
balance, <strong>Korea</strong> posted a surplus of<br />
US$1.48 billion. Although the<br />
figure shows a drop from the<br />
previous month, it extended the<br />
number of consecutive months of<br />
trade surplus to fifty since April<br />
2003.<br />
The ministry said that the main<br />
reason for the continued showing of<br />
strength in exports despite the<br />
unfavorable market conditions, such<br />
as the rise in the value of the <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
won and the depreciation of the<br />
Japanese yen, can be found in the<br />
sharp rise in the number of mainstay<br />
export items. Aside from the<br />
automobile exports that increased by<br />
20% from the same period last year,<br />
the exports of steel, LCD panels, and<br />
machinery all rose sharply from last<br />
year.<br />
According to a regional tally on<br />
the exports from May 1 to May 20,<br />
the exports in May rose sharply<br />
because the exports to the US at<br />
24.9% and China at 25.9% rose at<br />
considerably higher rates while the<br />
exports to Japan increased at a<br />
moderate pace.<br />
1 6 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 1 7
Scenario<br />
/ Cheonggyechun Ubiquitous<br />
Information Stream<br />
Cultural landmark of the past becomes<br />
landmark of the future<br />
Cheonggyechun, or Cheonggye<br />
Stream, is a 5.8km long stream<br />
that flows through downtown<br />
Seoul into the Han River. This landmark<br />
represents a dramatic change and<br />
advance of <strong>Korea</strong>n technology. It is very<br />
strange to say that a stream has something<br />
to do with the evolution of technology<br />
in <strong>Korea</strong>, but it is true. If you look<br />
into the history of Cheonggye Stream,<br />
you can find out that Cheonggyechun is<br />
not a simple stream but a symbol of evolution.<br />
Yesterday and today<br />
Spring is a good season to stroll along<br />
Cheonggye Stream. According to Seoul<br />
City Hall, thousands of people walk<br />
down the stream every day. Even in the<br />
early morning and late evening you can<br />
easily see people jogging to sweat.<br />
It has been only a year and a half that<br />
people could take a walk along the<br />
stream. Since Cheonggye Stream<br />
restoration was completed in September<br />
2005, its presence has been a welcomed<br />
sight for weary urban residents. Today,<br />
Cheonggye Stream is one of Seoul's<br />
by Chun Go-eun<br />
toclair@ittimes.co.kr<br />
main tourist attractions.<br />
Cheonggye Stream starts near the<br />
Dong-a Daily Newspaper in downtown<br />
Seoul. People can not miss Cheonggye<br />
Plaza with its 20-meter high, snailshaped<br />
sculpture named Spring donated<br />
by KT, a leading broadband and IPTV<br />
provider. Claes Oldenberg's sculpture<br />
has become a milestone for Seoulites and<br />
tourists.<br />
The walls along the stream's walkways<br />
are painted with colorful murals<br />
depicting <strong>Korea</strong>n history and culture.<br />
Before the Cheonggye Stream restora-<br />
tion was done, people could not see the<br />
water flow because Cheonggye Stream<br />
was covered with the asphalt road named<br />
Cheonggy-ro, on which 3°§1 Highway<br />
was constructed. Under the road flowed<br />
dirty water with garbage and sewage.<br />
Traffic was terrible every day and the US<br />
army recommended its vehicles not to<br />
use the road in a fear that the road would<br />
be blown away by the gas that the dirty<br />
water produced.<br />
However, the dirty road and the highway<br />
was regarded as a symbol of <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
construction technology. When Park<br />
Jung-hee, a military general-turned president,<br />
started his modernization program<br />
to make war-torn poor <strong>Korea</strong> become a<br />
developing country, Cheonggye Stream<br />
was a place where the urban poor gathered<br />
and lived in poverty. After all,<br />
Cheonggyechun, which literally means<br />
Sky blue Stream, became a filthy waterway<br />
and Park Jung-hee decided to cover<br />
Cheonggyechun with asphalt.<br />
At that time, Cheonggye Stream construction<br />
was high-tech. Adding a highway<br />
on the road was a miracle. Breaking<br />
ground was big news for <strong>Korea</strong>ns and all<br />
high ranking government officials<br />
including President Park joined the<br />
opening ceremony. His cabinet members<br />
also stood on the highway to celebrate<br />
and herald the accomplishment and<br />
walked down the road with President<br />
Park.<br />
The future<br />
Cheonggye Stream is now experiencing<br />
another change in its nature. This<br />
change is really different from the previous<br />
ones. Cheonggye Stream will turn<br />
out to be an <strong>IT</strong> Stream. It is because<br />
Seoul City Hall and a civilian <strong>IT</strong> company<br />
agreed to adopt <strong>IT</strong> to Cheonggye<br />
Stream in order to make Cheonggye<br />
Stream a ubiquitous stream. If<br />
Cheonggye Stream changes into a computerized<br />
waterway, it may be the first<br />
one ever of its kind.<br />
What does it mean to be a ubiquitous<br />
stream? Samsung SDS,a developer of<br />
the u-Cheonggye Stream Project,<br />
explained that in a ubiquitous stream,<br />
everything is under control by computer<br />
system. The quantity of water that runs<br />
in the stream and the height of it will be<br />
managed by computer programs and systems<br />
that Samsung SDS provides.<br />
Tourists will enjoy the ubiquitous<br />
Cheonggye this coming September when<br />
the implementation of the system is completed.<br />
First of all, Samsung will adapt<br />
its u-City integrated platform named<br />
UbiCenter to the plan. This Center<br />
reduces the quantity of water to a certain<br />
level when it rains heavily during the<br />
summer season. This can be possible<br />
because the sensor planted on the bottom<br />
of the stream reads the amount of rain.<br />
When the sensor reports what is happening<br />
to the Center, the Center controls the<br />
influx of water that comes from the Han<br />
River through the pipes under the ground<br />
every day.<br />
The planted sensor also checks the<br />
quality of the water. When polluted<br />
water flows into Cheonggye Stream, the<br />
sensor smells it and reports it to the<br />
Center so that the Center can prepare<br />
next steps to prevent more pollution.<br />
Thanks to the system, walkers of the<br />
waterway can see fish live on the screen<br />
that is attached to the walls. In order to<br />
do this, Samsung will implant cameras at<br />
the surface of water where fish often<br />
gather. Camera will send the pictures of<br />
fish to the screen. Lights and traffic<br />
lights will be automatically controlled<br />
according to the weather. When it is<br />
gloomy the lights will be brighter and<br />
when it is evening the colors of lights<br />
will be romantic.<br />
Furthermore, mobile phone users<br />
walking down the waterway can read the<br />
history of Cheonggye Stream, its relics,<br />
documents about the Cheonggye Stream<br />
restoration project and history of Seoul<br />
by touching their mobile phone to RFID<br />
tags. In the RFIDs implanted on the<br />
walls of Cheonggye Stream, every<br />
above-mentioned piece of information is<br />
programmed. Tourist information and<br />
road maps are also available.<br />
Samsung said that the "u-Cheonggye<br />
Stream will be highlight of all changes<br />
of technology that has been adapted to<br />
it."<br />
Cheonggye Stream will also become a<br />
stream in which wireless LAN and wireless<br />
broadband services including WiBro<br />
flow. Thanks to the wireless networks,<br />
people can turn on their laptop computers<br />
and check their e-mail at any place<br />
around Cheonggye Stream. In this warm<br />
season, you cannot miss young guys sitting<br />
on the walkways of Cheonggye<br />
Stream and communicating with their<br />
friends on computers.<br />
Kim Young-min, a salesman, said:<br />
"At Cheonggye Stream I often eat a hamburger<br />
set while checking e-mails that<br />
come from my company and clients."<br />
He explained that before a wireless LAN<br />
system was installed around Cheonggye<br />
Stream he always came back to his company<br />
to do so or paid 4000 won (about 4<br />
dollars) to use Starbucks where wireless<br />
internet services are available.<br />
Mobile and broadband network<br />
providers put marketing priority to<br />
Cheonggye Stream. KT, SK Telecom<br />
and KTF are the leading companies in<br />
this trend. KT's Nespot is a wireless<br />
LAN service and SK Telecom's T-login<br />
and KTF's i-Plug are wireless broadband<br />
services. An official who asked not to be<br />
named said that in two years Cheonggye<br />
Stream will be a mecca of wireless<br />
broadband service because broadband<br />
network providers and telecommunication<br />
companies will spend more money<br />
on the system which has already<br />
installed in Cheonggye Stream for better<br />
services.<br />
WiBro will also meet with Cheonggye<br />
Stream. WiBro is a <strong>Korea</strong>-invented new<br />
wireless broadband service. WiBro<br />
enables users on vehicles running at the<br />
speed of about 60 miles per hour to connect<br />
web sites. If you are a CEO of a<br />
company, you can open your laptop to<br />
check e-mails on the road to the company.<br />
KT declared that it would decorate<br />
Cheonggye Stream with WiBro.<br />
In all, Cheonggye Stream is not a simple<br />
stream in nature. Cheonggye Stream<br />
is, so to speak, a stream of wireless service.<br />
There can you enjoy the flow of<br />
water and the stream of communication.<br />
Cheonggye's yesterday, today and<br />
tomorrow deserves your attention and<br />
love.<br />
1 8 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 1 9
In Depth Report / Hanaro Telecom<br />
Who Will Hold Hanaro?<br />
by Chun Go-eun<br />
toclair@ittimes.co.kr<br />
As far as Hanaro Telecom Inc. is<br />
concerned the phrase is absolutely<br />
true. Rumors are circulating that<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s second-largest broadband and<br />
IPTV operator Hanaro Telecom will be<br />
bought out by an unknown third party,<br />
despite denials by Hanaro executives.<br />
Market analysts have speculated on a number<br />
of different firms poised to purchase the<br />
struggling telecom company.<br />
When analysts talk about Hanaro, the<br />
theme is not about whether or not it will be<br />
sold, but about when and how much. Last<br />
week in Seoul, market analysts predicted<br />
that the time was matured enough for<br />
Hanaro to negotiate the amount of money<br />
with candidates.<br />
Some watchdogs rushed to say that the<br />
negotiation was already underway and had<br />
almost reached an agreement. The candidates<br />
so far are unknown. However, some<br />
names have been put forward. According<br />
to rumors, some foreign and domestic communication<br />
companies and hunters met<br />
with their counterparts in Hanaro. Hanaro<br />
strongly denied any kinds of speculation on<br />
a merger or acquisition.<br />
SK Telecom is said to be a strong fisherman<br />
in this market. The reason is that SK<br />
Telecom needs Hanaro for its business<br />
portfolio. A mobile communication service<br />
provider, SK Telecom has no wired<br />
communication service. This is a weak<br />
point for a company which has to fight<br />
back in the jungle of the combined communication<br />
service era that begins in July this<br />
year. The Combined Communication<br />
Service Initiative is the <strong>Korea</strong>n government's<br />
move to vitalize the competition in<br />
communication services. Thanks to the initiative,<br />
a mobile communication service<br />
provider is permitted to sell its own business<br />
service combined with other services,<br />
for example wire communication services,<br />
internet services and Video on Demand.<br />
But SK Telecom denied any rumors that<br />
it would buy the struggling Hanaro.<br />
"Despite the rampant rumors, SK Telecom<br />
has no intentions or plans to buy," said Lee<br />
Kyo-hyuk, an official at SK Telecom's public<br />
relations team.<br />
In this point of view, SK Telecom, a<br />
leading mobile service provider in <strong>Korea</strong>,<br />
has a strong need to purchase Hanaro.<br />
Stock market analysts did not hesitate to<br />
say that SK Telecom has not hidden its<br />
intention to buy Hanaro. Perhaps SK is just<br />
waiting until the price bottoms out.<br />
The next candidate could be the LG<br />
Group. As is well-known, the LG Group<br />
has a line-up of mobile and wired communication<br />
services -- LG Telecom, LG<br />
Dacom, and LG Powercom. If the LG<br />
Group swallows Hanaro it can obtain 3.6<br />
million users of the high-speed internet service<br />
and 1.8 million wired phone service<br />
users. Critics say that Hanaro will give LG<br />
Group a new springboard to jump on top of<br />
the communication providers list. Even<br />
though LG Dacom and LG Powercom are<br />
also internet service providers, the numbers<br />
of users are far smaller than Hanaro.<br />
Some new candidates from abroad were<br />
named last week, a brand new development<br />
shaking the merger and acquisition market.<br />
Nothing less than STT, a Singapore-based<br />
communication service provider, has been<br />
eyeing the <strong>Korea</strong>n company. The name<br />
leaked out in an interview with Park<br />
Byung-mu, CEO of Hanaro, conducted by<br />
the <strong>Korea</strong> Economic Daily, a leading economic<br />
newspaper in <strong>Korea</strong>. Park also<br />
revealed that Hanaro chose Goldman Sachs<br />
as a strategic adviser. Goldman Sachs will<br />
manage the sale, citing sources privy to the<br />
deal.<br />
As a matter of fact, major shareholders<br />
of Hanaro are appearing to sell their shares<br />
at a proper price. AIG-Newbridge Capital,<br />
the largest shareholder, is likely eager to<br />
leave Seoul with their investment back.<br />
They have stayed here for more than three<br />
years because the price of their shares have<br />
dropped rapidly and trapped them. AIG-<br />
Newbridge Capital, in a consortium, invested<br />
US$1.1 billion in Hanaro Telecom to<br />
become its largest shareholder in<br />
September 2003. It currently holds a 39<br />
percent share in the company.<br />
The share price of Hanaro is up and<br />
down around 10,000 won. Last year the<br />
price dived to 2,000 won, the worst price in<br />
the company's history. "If AIG-Newbridge<br />
Capital ever decided to leave, now is the<br />
time," said an industry watchdog.<br />
However, only time can tell what will happen<br />
to the <strong>Korea</strong>n ISP.<br />
2 0 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES
Virtual Reality / Second Life<br />
Virtual Relay for Life nets US$38,000 for the American Cancer Society<br />
<strong>IT</strong> Enterprises Run to Second Life<br />
IBM and Dell establish secondary shops, change<br />
marketing paradigm<br />
At the end of the month last year,<br />
IBM stirred the world by deciding<br />
to open up a shop in Second<br />
Life, a virtual space which allows people<br />
to do anything that anyone desires. Up<br />
until recently, Second Life was basically<br />
used as a magic wand. A fat and<br />
unattractive woman could become a gorgeous<br />
character and a middle-class person<br />
could become one with a lot of real<br />
estate. Even any sexual frustration and<br />
hidden desire could also be resolved<br />
through avatars and virtual settings.<br />
Second Life, therefore, not only has a<br />
positive effect, but also negative effects<br />
to society because one's never ending<br />
desires and greed grow quickly when<br />
there is no set of rules and restrictions to<br />
discipline such wishes. The idea of<br />
Information Technology enterprises<br />
using Second Life as marketing is rather<br />
astonishing yet good news to increase<br />
the quality of Second Life.<br />
Corporate infiltration of virtual<br />
space<br />
IBM's participation in Second Life<br />
was decided by its CEO Samuel J.<br />
Palmisano who decided to create an<br />
avatar in Second Life to interact with<br />
customers. AMD, the well-known semiconductor<br />
company, is also starting its<br />
advertisement through Second Life.<br />
AMD made an exhibition hall and audience<br />
seats in Second Life. By opening<br />
numerous conferences, training sessions,<br />
and unofficial networks within, they<br />
started to market their products and promote<br />
their company. Even Dell, a major<br />
American computer hardware company<br />
also plunged into the Second Life market.<br />
They currently own a shop in the<br />
virtual world.<br />
Sony who just demoed the<br />
Playstation 3 (PS3) last November<br />
announced that it will come up with a<br />
service called Home that is similar to the<br />
An avatar can be created to<br />
one's taste<br />
by Chun Go-eun<br />
toclair@ittimes.co.kr<br />
concept of Second Life this fall.<br />
Through the 3D virtual world Home,<br />
Sony desires to expand a variety of businesses.<br />
From marketing to election<br />
campaign<br />
The enterprises' virtual space marketing<br />
strategy is on its hot spot. Threedimensional<br />
secondary space that is<br />
somewhat similar to reality attracts<br />
enterprises as another marketing space<br />
with potential.<br />
At the end of the year last year, CEO<br />
Palmisano announced that IBM was<br />
investing US$10 million to design a virtual<br />
space in Second Life. At the current<br />
point, 3000 employees have joined<br />
Second Life and 300 of these are keeping<br />
in touch with customers on a regular<br />
basis. Dell established a virtual experience<br />
zone in Second Life. Cisco, the<br />
network enterprise, built a house with<br />
eight rooms for people to enjoy TVs and<br />
computers. The shops these enterprises<br />
have built in Second Life are called an<br />
on-off line converged strategy that connects<br />
to its business in reality.<br />
Japanese enterprises are actively participating<br />
in Second Life as well.<br />
Japanese animation production company<br />
DLE and TV Ashahi set a virtual movie<br />
theater in Second Life and are now<br />
showing many kinds of animation<br />
movies. A used book selling corporation<br />
named Book of Operation is also establishing<br />
a shop in Second Life using it as<br />
an important marketing space.<br />
Not only the Second Life is used for a<br />
marketing purpose, it is also used as an<br />
election campaigning purpose as well.<br />
Hillary Clinton, a current senator of New<br />
York who is an influential candidate for<br />
the 2008 presidential election is putting<br />
up posters and campaign kits on a large<br />
signs, cars, and helicopters in Second<br />
Life, asking for votes.<br />
Text messages and instant<br />
messages in Second Life<br />
Vodafone, a global mobile communication<br />
company, provides text messaging<br />
and instant messaging services to<br />
virtual world users. According to<br />
Silicon.com, Vodafone will soon build<br />
an island in Second Life and provide virtual<br />
cell phones, so that the users can<br />
communicate within the secondary life<br />
via SMS and IM. They are planning to<br />
call their island Teaser and provide different<br />
communication services within<br />
the secondary life.<br />
Many companies like Adidas, Nissan,<br />
Sun Microsystems, Reebok, and Yankee<br />
Stadium already own islands in Second<br />
Life.<br />
Globally successful companies like<br />
Microsoft, Coca Cola, Intel, Adidas,<br />
IBM and Toyota joined the Second Life<br />
as well. Sun Microsystems is preparing<br />
a press conference regarding to the new<br />
strategy of the gaming industry. They<br />
already made the avatar of the CEO to<br />
go on a press conference. America's<br />
Wells Fargo bank made an island under<br />
the name Stagecoach, the mascot of its<br />
bank. Here, avatars can withdraw<br />
Linden Dollars, the virtual money used<br />
in Second Life. They even educate people<br />
to manage their budget. Adidas is<br />
showing high eager in marketing its new<br />
products.<br />
The British Broadcasting<br />
Corporation, BBC, rented an island in<br />
Second Life. They are giving parties<br />
and music festivals in the island. The<br />
average age of avatars that live in this<br />
island is 32. This is eye-opening news<br />
for enterprises because the needs of the<br />
thirty year old demographic affect the<br />
market in the most influential ways. It is<br />
better to tell what the customers' want in<br />
Second Life than in the real life, where<br />
people are dispersed all over in all different<br />
age groups.<br />
Toyota is a pioneer out of all car companies<br />
in starting to build a nest in<br />
Second Life. Toyota is selling virtual<br />
models under the brand named Scion.<br />
Users are customizing the cars as they<br />
wish and selling it in the market, spreading<br />
the Scion brand. Toyota aims for it<br />
to spread enough to impact the real market.<br />
Second life provides a perfect space<br />
for people to experience their products.<br />
Second Life citizens can easily figure<br />
out how the car handles and sounds as<br />
they test the Scion. The marketing manager<br />
of Toyota is looking for ideas to<br />
tune the product to customer needs in<br />
Linden dollars with an avatar<br />
order to make the brand successful in<br />
reality.<br />
The cost of intriguing advertisements<br />
in Second Life is US$200,000. This is<br />
the cost that the designers need to create<br />
elite virtual employees. The second life<br />
advertisement is the new hot spot.<br />
Sony is up<br />
Sony announced their plan of the<br />
Home service, a second life style game<br />
for the PS3 at the open inventor conference<br />
in San Fransisco last March. The<br />
Home service relates community, partnerships,<br />
and individual fit services.<br />
The world is reaching to a Web 3.0<br />
world. If users enjoyed games through<br />
networks before, Web 3.0 will allow us<br />
to use three dimensional spaces like<br />
Home to enjoy games like they are real.<br />
Home users will be able to control<br />
avatars' movements with a PS3 controller.<br />
They can own their own apartment<br />
and can decorate and design the<br />
interiors in the way that they want.<br />
Mass media and public relations officers<br />
will soon no longer be needed to<br />
communicate with customers. Through<br />
Second Life, enterprises can communicate<br />
directly with the customers, foreshadowing<br />
another revolution of marketing.<br />
2 2 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 2 3
Academia / Design Forum<br />
Adapting to Convergence<br />
Seoul National University of Technology keeps future<br />
trends in mind<br />
On May 25, 2007, Seoul National<br />
University of Technology held<br />
the 2007 International<br />
Symposium of the <strong>Korea</strong> Society of<br />
Design Science. The title of this year's<br />
Symposium was The Convergence of<br />
Universal Design and Information<br />
Technology. It lasted for two days and<br />
included several notable speakers. The<br />
keynote speaker was Abir Mullick,<br />
Professor and Director of Industrial<br />
Design of the College of Architecture of<br />
the Georgia Institute of Technology in<br />
the US. He is a professor of fifteen<br />
years, teaching courses in industrial<br />
design and architecture.<br />
Before coming to be with Georgia Tech,<br />
he taught at the State University of New<br />
York, Buffalo and was a two-time recipient<br />
of the Universal Design Education Project<br />
grant when he was there. Professor<br />
Mullick is nationally known for his work in<br />
the field of universal design.<br />
The second speaker was Yoshitsugu<br />
Morita, Director of the Human Living<br />
System Design Department of Kyushu<br />
University in Japan. He is a Trustee of<br />
the Japanese Society for the Science of<br />
Design, and also a Trustee of the Design<br />
Research Association. He has won several<br />
awards, including the Urban Design<br />
Award in Japan, Grand Prize, in 1993,<br />
for the planning and design of Ginza-<br />
Harumi Dori (Avenue).<br />
Third, Toshimitsu Sadamura,<br />
President & CEO of GA-TAP<br />
Corporation and part-time lecturer at<br />
Yamaguchi University in Japan was also<br />
in attendance. He is vice-President of the<br />
Japan Sign Design Association, a member<br />
of the Japan Society for the Science<br />
of Signs and member of the Asia<br />
Townscape Design Society.<br />
by Matthew Weigand<br />
matthew@ittimes.co.kr<br />
GA-TAP, Mr. Sadamura's company,<br />
is said to be characterized by the total<br />
design approach afforded by its multidisciplinary<br />
designers working in fields<br />
such as architecture, graphics, products<br />
and copywriting, and mainly engages in<br />
environment-related and communication-related<br />
design.<br />
The fourth speaker was Shin Sangyoung,<br />
President of LG Electronics<br />
Corporate Design Center. Mr. Shin is<br />
also on the Evaluation Committee for<br />
Industrial Technology Development and<br />
Technology Foundation Creation<br />
Business, a Recommended Designer of<br />
the <strong>Korea</strong>n Industrial Design Exhibition,<br />
and vice-President of the New-Vision<br />
Course of International Design School for<br />
Advanced Studies in Hongik University.<br />
Before he became President, Mr. Shin<br />
spent five years as vice-President of the<br />
DA Design Research Lab in LG<br />
Electronics' Corporate Design Center.<br />
Universal design is familiar to almost<br />
everyone, even if they do not recognize it.<br />
When asked to define universal design,<br />
Professor Mullick said: "A car is a very<br />
good example of universal design. A car<br />
is not designed for one person, but if you<br />
sit in the car it is easy to use. That is what<br />
we design, one thing for many people."<br />
Looking towards the future<br />
Seoul National University of<br />
Technology originated in 1910, established<br />
as a vocational supplementary<br />
school by royal decree from Emperor<br />
Gojong. It was renamed Seoul National<br />
University of Technology in April 1993.<br />
The university includes six graduate<br />
schools, thirty-two departments and four<br />
colleges. The colleges include the<br />
College of Engineering, College of<br />
Humanities and Social Sciences, College<br />
of Natural and Life Sciences and the<br />
College of Art and Design, which hosted<br />
the Symposium. Approximately 15,000<br />
students attend its campus.<br />
The university is in the process of creating<br />
new technology center that they dub<br />
Seoul Technopolis. The new building is<br />
currently under construction, and will<br />
serve as a hub of industry and academic<br />
Yoon Jin-sik, president of Seoul National University of Technology,<br />
signs his name to a vase created by the School of Art and Design<br />
cooperation in the area of nanotechnology,<br />
information technology, and design<br />
science. The President of the university,<br />
Yoon Jin-sik, is looking to bring together<br />
those three disciplines in order to hopefully<br />
create a new, converged industry<br />
involving all three disciplines. The president<br />
spoke about this by saying: "The<br />
fusion between nanotechnology and<br />
information technology is not just a trend<br />
in <strong>Korea</strong>, but it's a global trend. So we<br />
are not just interested in nanotechnology<br />
and <strong>IT</strong> but also other types of convergence<br />
between <strong>IT</strong> and BT and other types<br />
of tech." The president believes that convergence<br />
is an irreversible global trend<br />
between many disciplines, and prepares<br />
his university to meet such a trend. Woo<br />
Heung-ryong, Dean of the School of Arts<br />
and Design of Seoul National University<br />
and the President of the <strong>Korea</strong> Society of<br />
Design Science, spoke about President<br />
Yoon by saying: "He is an education<br />
reformer. Everything has been totally<br />
changing for three years."<br />
Universal symposium<br />
The speakers covered a variety of topics<br />
on the first day. Abir Mullick began<br />
the Symposium with his keynote speech<br />
entitled Universal Design: Past, Present<br />
and Future. He mentioned that the concept<br />
of universal design was an outcome<br />
of the civil rights movement in the 1060s<br />
in the US, and began with a desire to<br />
accommodate people with disabilities.<br />
He gave a detailed timeline of the changing<br />
views of disabled persons in the<br />
United States from 1958 until 1982. He<br />
then followed the concept of universal<br />
design internationally, and cited quite a<br />
few countries who took universal design<br />
seriously. In the third part of his speech<br />
he predicted future trends in universal<br />
design. Regarding the universal design<br />
of technology, he said: "The loss of<br />
interest in complex technological products<br />
will popularize simple products."<br />
"Digital technology will develop two<br />
types of intelligent designs. The first is<br />
combination appliances to perform dual<br />
tasks and reduce manual work... Second,<br />
smart designs such as intelligent fridge<br />
pantry cars, coffee maker grinder clocks<br />
and closet drycleaner cars that can think<br />
and process information and maintain<br />
non-intermittent work flow."<br />
The second presentation was given by<br />
Professor Morita, and was titled<br />
Relationship Between Universal Design,<br />
Good Design and Public Design. The<br />
professor put forward a simple assumption<br />
by saying: "We assumed that good<br />
design is also universal design." His presentation<br />
detailed the development of a<br />
process to create good product design by<br />
incorporating input from product designers,<br />
product sellers, and product users.<br />
The key to this system was the creation<br />
of quality charts, called Karte, that would<br />
assess many different people's evaluation<br />
of any product in order to create the best<br />
2 4 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 2 5
Academia / Design Forum<br />
LGE Design<br />
Speakers and officials at the 2007 international Symposium of <strong>Korea</strong> Society of Design Science<br />
available. Professor Morita said: "This evaluation of functions,<br />
including accessibility and usability, allows quantitative evaluations<br />
that combine physiological and psychological sensory measurements.<br />
In other words, these charts allow user evaluation for barrierfree<br />
design." However, creation of these charts was not at easy as it<br />
first sounded. A lot of time and energy was spent in creating just the<br />
language for the Karte charts, in order to find universal language that<br />
anyone would use to evaluate a product. The entire presentation was<br />
an in-depth analysis on the very idea of design. Professor Morita<br />
closed by saying: "We will continue to conduct case studies and<br />
advance a careful investigation of language evaluation sheets...<br />
Furthermore, we intend to analyze the causes of the diverse user<br />
evaluation gaps using design evaluation language, and from the<br />
results of that analysis, build solution indices that will clarify courses<br />
of action for resolving those gaps."<br />
President Toshimitsu Sadamura of GA-TAP Corporation spoke next,<br />
moving the focus of the Symposium away from the theoretical bent of<br />
Professor Morita and onto practical applications of universal design. His<br />
presentation, titled A Universal Design for Public Transportation,<br />
detailed his company's application of universal design concepts in the<br />
Fukuoka City Nanakuma Subway Line in Japan. Sadamura began by<br />
detailing the timeline of the design project, which began in 1996 and<br />
ended in 2005. He detailed design barriers in the construction, which<br />
included users with limited mobility, pregnant women, children, and<br />
people with heavy loads. His presentation detailed how his company<br />
was able to meet and sometimes exceed these design barriers.<br />
Finally, President Shin Sang-young spoke on the subject of<br />
Universal Design Case Study in Value Creation of Home Appliances.<br />
He began by saying: "With digitalization and expansion of product<br />
functions, recent home appliances become more complex. As functionality<br />
of products is increasing, convenience and safety in using<br />
becomes critical in product development. Even more, social responsibilities<br />
of companies and users' awareness of product usability are<br />
increased." He spoke about LG Electronics' application of universal<br />
design and gave numerous examples from today's marketplace, from<br />
the eye-level display of a popular air conditioner model to differentcolored<br />
power buttons on remote controls.<br />
INTERVIEW<br />
The <strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Times</strong> was able to ask some questions to the president of Seoul National<br />
University of Technology, Yoon Jin-sik. He spoke on a variety of subjects, from his time as a<br />
public minister to his ideas of future global trends. ---Ed.<br />
Q: When were you the minister?<br />
A: From 2003 to 2004. I was at the position of Minister of<br />
Commerce, Industry and Energy for ten months.<br />
Q: And after that you came to this university?<br />
A: Yes after four months I came to this university.<br />
Q: Many people in <strong>Korea</strong> are looking for what they call the<br />
next economic growth engine. Do you anticipate that nanoinformation-technology<br />
can be what everyone is looking for?<br />
A: We call it the next generation growth driver. Actually I was<br />
the one mainly responsible for coming up with that idea to begin<br />
with. Because before becoming the president of this university I<br />
was the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy about 3<br />
years ago. At that time I thought we have to discover some new<br />
growth drivers where we can allocate more resources,<br />
government support and also get some more public interest.<br />
Pretty much I was the one mainly responsible for coming up with<br />
that idea.<br />
And I kept that idea with me as I became the president of this<br />
university. So that is why actually I decided it would be a good<br />
idea to have the <strong>IT</strong> Technopolis so that we can pursue the new<br />
technology and also add design elements into that as well so<br />
that we can focus more of our capability in that area.<br />
Q: What are your plans for Seoul Technopolis? Do you<br />
have any plans to combine nanotechnology, information<br />
technology, and design science?<br />
A: We are looking to do some research in <strong>IT</strong> and<br />
nanotechnology areas and so we're making Seoul Technopolis.<br />
We are getting funding from the government, about 60 million<br />
dollars.<br />
The overarching purpose for the facility is basically to encourage<br />
the development of nanotech <strong>IT</strong>. That's why we are attracting<br />
many different research centers for the development of this new<br />
technology.<br />
As for your question about nanotechnology, <strong>IT</strong> and design, we<br />
have some ideas at this time to combine those 3 together. We<br />
are currently planning some curriculum in the master's and PhD<br />
programs where we combine nanotechnology, information<br />
technology and design together.<br />
Attaching importance to<br />
consumer-oriented design, LGE<br />
Corporate Design Center is assuming<br />
leadership of universal design development<br />
which develops new technology at home.<br />
Universal design pursues design for all<br />
persons including the elderly, the handicapped<br />
and children. It is being spread with<br />
a fast speed due to the influence of an<br />
advanced age phenomenon throughout the<br />
world. Research and development about<br />
products and environments which include<br />
universal design is being briskly unfolded,<br />
says President Shin Sang-young, LGE<br />
Corporate Design Center in an interview at<br />
his office with The <strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Times</strong>. He<br />
recently spoke at an international symposium<br />
which was held on May 25 at the<br />
Seoul National University of Technology<br />
under the theme Convergence of Universal<br />
LG Dios<br />
LG Whisen<br />
Consumer-oriented<br />
Design<br />
Leadership of universal design<br />
development<br />
Design and Information<br />
Technology.<br />
Shin, who spoke regarding universal<br />
design development of new<br />
technology, introduced LG<br />
Electronics' universal design development<br />
content in the following<br />
examples. He spoke about a slimmodel<br />
air conditioner which<br />
included robot cleaning function, a<br />
3 door refrigerator's refrigeration<br />
room structure alteration technology,<br />
and an auto closing refrigerator<br />
which applied new structure so that a door<br />
can be closed automatically by improving<br />
the refrigerator door's hinge.<br />
As LG design development activity<br />
which was converged with <strong>IT</strong>, he especially<br />
named HomeNet which has networked and<br />
automated all electric home appliance products<br />
of a household.<br />
As regarding peculiar item which is in<br />
the process of design development for LGE<br />
Corporate Design Center, it is a Design pre-<br />
Proposal Strategy which presents design<br />
reflecting customer demand to the development<br />
team in advance, Shin emphasizes.<br />
This means of course to escape from<br />
passive features which decorate external<br />
appearances in step with established engineers'<br />
presentation.<br />
Such a Design pre-Proposal Strategy<br />
aims to make hit products by allowing<br />
designer to present new product<br />
concepts and to carry out an initiative<br />
role in product development,<br />
according to Shin. Not only the<br />
Chocolate Phone and Shine Phone,<br />
but also Whisen air conditioners<br />
which sold the most in the world are<br />
representative examples that<br />
attained customer value innovation<br />
through design.<br />
From the very first, designers at LG<br />
Electronics lead concept development from<br />
the stage of its product planning by garnering<br />
planning, design, business and marketing<br />
staffs to forge a team, said Shin.<br />
The president notes that LGE Corporate<br />
Design Center is scheduled to secure four core<br />
capacities as the best level in the world, which<br />
are concept, style, interface, and finishing. It<br />
plans to concentrate its efforts on concept,<br />
interface and invisible elements this year.<br />
In a nutshell,<br />
LG Electronics'<br />
designers are<br />
providing customers<br />
with<br />
convenience<br />
and beauty<br />
LG Prada<br />
through customer<br />
insightoriented<br />
design,<br />
according to<br />
Shin.<br />
Regarding LGE Corporate Design<br />
Center's global network on the other hand, a<br />
foreign-based design lab was founded in<br />
Dublin, Ireland in 1991 to achieve design<br />
globalization. More foreign-based design<br />
labs were subsequently founded in the cities<br />
of New Jersey, US, in 1993; Tokyo, Japan<br />
in 1993; Beijing, China in 1998; and Milan,<br />
Italy in 2002 to establish an overseas network<br />
system.<br />
Right now, the Center is under direct<br />
control of the CEO, not any more by the<br />
CTO, according to Shin, proving that the<br />
LG Electronics CEO attaches his special<br />
importance to design. After company-wide<br />
design management declaration in June of<br />
2006, Shin said: "Design is actively<br />
involved not only in developing products,<br />
but also as wide range of resources in all of<br />
the value chains."<br />
2 6 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 2 7
FEZ<br />
/ MOFE<br />
New Product<br />
Graduating in 2009<br />
Free economic zones just starting the long haul, say experts<br />
This is the first in a four part series on Free Economic Zones in <strong>Korea</strong>. In future issues the <strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Times</strong> will cover all the Free<br />
Economic Zones in the country. Next month is Incheon Free Economic Zone -- Ed.<br />
Mr. Kwon Tae-kyun, the newly inaugurated<br />
deputy minister for the Free Economic Zone<br />
Planning Office of the Ministry of Finance and<br />
Economy (MOFE)<br />
Foreign investors will be able to see<br />
that within the next two or three years<br />
three bustling international cities will<br />
be constructed in <strong>Korea</strong>'s three free economic<br />
zones.<br />
Such confidence was echoed in an exclusive<br />
interview with Mr. Kwon Tae-kyun, the<br />
newly inaugurated deputy minister for the<br />
Free Economic Zone Planning Office of the<br />
Ministry of Finance and Economy (MOFE).<br />
In spite of the recent negative reports<br />
regarding free economic zones, the deputy<br />
minister stressed, "Our free economic zones<br />
will serve as a treasure-house to usher in a<br />
new engine of economic growth through our<br />
on-the-scene supervision and management of<br />
the special zones."<br />
The year 2009, Kwon emphasized, will be a<br />
milestone for investors as they will witness the<br />
rebirth of the free economic zones starting from<br />
Incheon. In that year, many projects in Incheon<br />
will be completed. The Incheon Grand Bridge,<br />
he said, will fascinate visitors to Incheon when<br />
the landmark project is completed in October<br />
2009 along with the 65-floor Asia Trade Tower<br />
to be completed in September 2009. "In addition,"<br />
Kwon said, "the people will be able to<br />
confirm the growth of free economic zones<br />
through Incheon's City Expo to be held for 80<br />
days in Songdo in the fall of 2009."<br />
Desirable regulations<br />
To forge a business-friendly environment,<br />
Kwon said the government is committed to<br />
do its best to lessen or eliminate regulations<br />
and coordinate related ministries to make the<br />
free economic zones more flexible and free.<br />
The deputy minister notes, "A progress has<br />
already been made to ease regulations and<br />
accelerate the development, and administrative<br />
procedures will continuously be simplified<br />
in the months and years to come."<br />
"Only the key concerns related to the environment,<br />
health, and security will remain to<br />
be administered by the authorities, and truly<br />
international cities will be built to be run by<br />
highly efficient administrative systems,"<br />
Kwon points out.<br />
On concerns about the current state of the<br />
free zone project, he said that the current<br />
progress is at its initial stage of development<br />
and will turn into a rapid pace as the project<br />
gains momentum, and the project's future<br />
prospects will be bright when the initial phase<br />
of the project takes a concrete shape and foreign<br />
capital inflow begins in earnest. In such<br />
an environment, he stressed, <strong>Korea</strong> has to<br />
concentrate its efforts to build necessary infra<br />
in a relatively short period of time.<br />
Proximity to the huge Chinese<br />
market<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s three free economic zones in<br />
Incheon, Busan, and Kwangyang are asked to<br />
present their visions to foreign investors more<br />
actively on a regular basis. "Basically, what we<br />
can provide is not the low wages of China or its<br />
huge market, but it is <strong>Korea</strong>'s proximity to<br />
China and excellent living amenities that we are<br />
counting on," the deputy minister explained.<br />
In <strong>Korea</strong>, he said, intellectual property<br />
rights are well protected and the ingenious<br />
manpower can create good synergy combined<br />
with the world-class <strong>IT</strong> and bio techs<br />
with a strong manufacturing base where the<br />
world-class airport and harbor are certain to<br />
make a difference.<br />
To do so, Kwon added, the authorities will<br />
closely scrutinize the current system of a<br />
three-year exemption of corporate tax and<br />
bring in a set of more attractive incentives in<br />
coming years. What's more, he asserted that<br />
the reason behind the slow pace of foreign<br />
investment into the three free economic zones<br />
is that foreign investors haven't yet recognized<br />
their development possibilities in the<br />
years to come.<br />
Continuous monitoring of FEZ<br />
projects<br />
Positively assessing that the recently concluded<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>-US free trade negotiations and<br />
the upcoming 2014 Incheon Asian Games as<br />
good momentums to boost foreign investment,<br />
he added that the government will step<br />
up efforts to loosen the regulations with priorities<br />
given to free economic zones.<br />
Commenting on what visions have been<br />
brought forward to set the zones apart from<br />
similar endeavors overseas, he predicted that<br />
the Incheon Free Economic Zone will be nurtured<br />
into a cosmopolitan city where tourism<br />
and <strong>IT</strong> and BT industries thrive based on a<br />
good infrastructure befitting a transportation<br />
hub with the world's highest-quality educational<br />
and medical services.<br />
"When Yeosu wins its bid to host the 2012<br />
World Expo," he continued, "Gwangyang<br />
will also draw much interest from foreign<br />
investors and Busan, too, will receive global<br />
attention as it has a strong manufacturing base<br />
linked with the textile industries to its north."<br />
"Metaphorically speaking," he said, "the<br />
current state of the economic zones is like an<br />
elementary student expected to be graduated<br />
from a university in 2015. As this is the case,<br />
the government will continuously monitor<br />
projects in the FEZs and keep a watchful eye<br />
so that the current businesses do not degrade<br />
into short-sighted pop-up businesses."<br />
Motorola, unveiled the RAZR2 this<br />
May in <strong>Korea</strong>. The RAZR2 is a<br />
whole package of sensibility revolution<br />
with its diverse experience based on the<br />
innovative technology Tandem Display, and<br />
innovating designs such as clean, rigid profiles<br />
with no parting lines and vacuum metal<br />
finishes. Expected to launch in June, <strong>Korea</strong><br />
will be the world's first market to receive the<br />
RAZR2.<br />
"With the modern style and powerful performance<br />
of RAZR2, Motorola is once again<br />
redefining the cell phone," said Ed Zander,<br />
Motorola's chairman and chief executive officer.<br />
"Combining groundbreaking new features<br />
and cutting-edge design, the RAZR2 is<br />
capable of giving consumers the ultimate<br />
mobile experience that changes all five senses."<br />
Design Revolution: Slimmer yet<br />
stunning<br />
The RAZR2 is just 11.9mm thick, the<br />
thinnest within the optimum range of not hindering<br />
usability. "Motorola focuses on finding<br />
the ideal design that delivers the best<br />
experience to consumers," said Hwang Sunggul,<br />
Director of Motorola CXD in Seoul.<br />
"RAZR2 also follows after sharper and more<br />
advanced design, but did not insist on driving<br />
to extreme thinness that could impair the convenience<br />
of users."<br />
Also, RAZR2 increases a sleek look by<br />
eliminating parting lines. Along with<br />
stronger durability, RAZR2 literally looks<br />
Emotional,<br />
Technological<br />
Revolution<br />
RAZR2 = Experience X<br />
Revolution<br />
like one solid piece of sculpture near perfection.<br />
In addition, RAZR2's front is finished<br />
through Vacuum Metallization, a coating process<br />
done several times in a vacuum, which<br />
provides a glossy face and profound dark<br />
pearl grey color.<br />
Performance Revolution:<br />
Smarter yet simpler<br />
The most significant functional innovation<br />
that RAZR2 has achieved is its Tandem<br />
Display. The display which was usually<br />
located inside is pulled out externally so that<br />
two main displays are embodied in both sides<br />
of the flip. When shut, existing phones turn<br />
into an accessory or a clock, but RAZR2<br />
plays the role of perfect device by carrying<br />
out more than 10 functions through the<br />
Tandem Display even when it is shut.<br />
Besides, the external display incorporates<br />
Motorola's breakthrough haptics technology<br />
which provides users with vibrating feedback<br />
in response to their finger taps, reducing the<br />
malfunction of touch sensors and providing<br />
physical feedback.<br />
Moreover, RAZR2 is loaded with ultimate<br />
multimedia features such as stereo<br />
Bluetooth wireless technology, VOD, MOD,<br />
MP3, SKT PMP, and high-speed USB 2.0<br />
which only takes 2 to 3 seconds to transfer a<br />
song. It also has many useful cutting-edge<br />
features like phone navigation, a service<br />
which provides directions with built-in highprecision<br />
local maps, enabling users to get<br />
help without the need of any additional kit.<br />
RAZR2 smartly packed all these extraordinary<br />
functions in a simple, stylish manner.<br />
Stronger yet sleeker<br />
For more strength and durability, RAZR2<br />
used stainless steel for internal frame. The<br />
huge exterior lens is made with chemically<br />
hardened glass to be more scratch resistant.<br />
Also, Motorola tested the cast aluminum<br />
hinge in more than 100,000 lab tests to help<br />
ensure that every time a customer flips open<br />
the device, it will work perfectly.<br />
"<strong>Korea</strong> is the first to be introduced to<br />
RAZR2, Motorola's ambitious launch product<br />
for year 2007, in June," Gill Hyun-chang,<br />
President of Motorola <strong>Korea</strong>, stated.<br />
"Through the overall innovation of design<br />
and technology, the revolution of the five<br />
senses provided by RAZR2 will satisfy what<br />
consumers have come to expect and was<br />
never fulfilled by any existing products."<br />
2 8 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 2 9
Enviroment Day / MOE Interview<br />
Eco-Friendly Key to<br />
Competitiveness<br />
On the occasion of the World Environment Day on June 5, the <strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Times</strong> interviewed Lee Kyoo-yong, vice minister of the Environment, to<br />
find out about the significance of the environment and its implications for the <strong>IT</strong> industry. The following is a condensed version of the answers<br />
made by Vice Minister Lee - Ed.<br />
The United Nations designated June<br />
5 as the World Environment Day<br />
to commemorate the Stockholm<br />
Conference on Human Environment<br />
which was held in Sweden in 1972 under<br />
the topic of One Earth. The Conference<br />
on the Human Environment is one of the<br />
principal vehicles through which the<br />
United Nations stimulates the worldwide<br />
awareness of the environment, enhances<br />
political attention, and motivates actions.<br />
The agenda is to give a human face to<br />
environmental issues; empower people to<br />
become active agents of sustainable and<br />
equitable development; promote an understanding<br />
that communities are pivotal to<br />
changing attitudes toward environmental<br />
issues; and advocate partnerships which<br />
will ensure that all nations and peoples<br />
enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.<br />
The current topic on the environment<br />
that has been gaining much public interest<br />
these days is none other than climate<br />
change. This is because the people have<br />
not only been experiencing changes in the<br />
weather and the ecological system but people's<br />
interest in the environment has continuously<br />
been growing around the world.<br />
At the World Economic Forum held in<br />
Davos this year, climate change emerged<br />
as the core theme of the conference.<br />
According to a survey of 500 CEOs who<br />
participated in the forum, 38 percent of the<br />
respondents thought that the environmental<br />
change expected from climate change to be<br />
the main factor that would have the most<br />
profound effects on corporate management<br />
in the 21st century. For instance, the EU's<br />
new chemical regulatory system, REACH,<br />
which stands for Registration, Evaluation<br />
and Authorization of Chemicals, went into<br />
force early this year and the environmental<br />
issues in the negotiation processes of FTAs<br />
are discussed with great importance.<br />
Above all, the government forecasts<br />
that the public's interest in the environmental<br />
policies aimed at raising the people's<br />
quality of life will grow further to reflect<br />
the changes in their interests and needs.<br />
The task of expanding green spaces in<br />
urban areas and the shaping of a pleasant<br />
living environment will continue to see<br />
their importance grow. Similarly, integrated<br />
environment management that centers<br />
on public health is important. This<br />
includes measures to protect the environmental<br />
health of children, nursing mothers,<br />
the elderly and others who are vulnerable<br />
to environmental pollution and the<br />
measures to safeguard the health of unpro-<br />
Lee Kyoo-yong, vice minister of environment<br />
tected regions. With respect to such<br />
aspects as the utilization of the natural<br />
environment or the supply of clean water<br />
and the processing of wastes and sewage,<br />
the demands for high-quality environmental<br />
services will increasingly grow.<br />
There are a number of international<br />
organizations concerned with environmental<br />
issues. These include the specialized<br />
agencies of the United Nations such<br />
as the United Nations Environment<br />
Programme (UNEP) and the United<br />
Nations Social and Economic<br />
Commission for Asia and the Pacific<br />
(UNESCAP), related finance support<br />
bodies such as the World Bank and the<br />
Global Environment Facility (GEF), and<br />
international cooperation organizations<br />
such as the OECD.<br />
In order to properly respond to the<br />
needs for protecting the earth's environment<br />
and cope with environmental issues<br />
in Northeast Asia, <strong>Korea</strong> maintains<br />
active and cooperative relations with<br />
these international bodies and plans to<br />
further strengthen the cooperative ties in<br />
the future too.<br />
To begin with, <strong>Korea</strong> takes part in the<br />
UNEP as a member of its executive committee<br />
that provides policy guidelines on<br />
the environment at the United Nations<br />
level and drives international cooperation.<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> has further strengthened its environmental<br />
cooperation with the world<br />
community by successfully hosting the 8th<br />
Special Session of the UNEP Governing<br />
Council and the Global Ministerial<br />
Environment Forum in Jeju in March<br />
2003. Moreover, the <strong>Korea</strong>n government<br />
is set to actively support the UNEP that<br />
intends to carry out 16 trial projects to<br />
improve the environment in North <strong>Korea</strong>.<br />
The UNEP disclosed its intention to pursue<br />
the projects following the report on<br />
North <strong>Korea</strong>'s state of the environment<br />
jointly issued by the UNEP, the UNDP,<br />
and North <strong>Korea</strong> in August 2004.<br />
In 2005, the Seoul Initiative on Green<br />
Growth was adopted at the fifth<br />
UNESCAP Ministerial Conference on<br />
Environment and Development. Since<br />
then, follow-up projects such as policy<br />
forums and environmental training programs<br />
have been operated every year.<br />
With respect to the World Bank, a<br />
capital financing and technology support<br />
agency for the advancement of developing<br />
countries, we have been involved<br />
since 2002 in the Knowledge Partnership<br />
that transmits our experience of<br />
advanced environment policy to developing<br />
countries such as China and Vietnam.<br />
In addition, the government contributes<br />
about 1.5 million dollars every<br />
year to the GEF to assist its investment in<br />
the fields of environment and technology<br />
development in developing countries.<br />
Moreover, we plan to increase the contribution<br />
money gradually.<br />
As an OECD member, <strong>Korea</strong> actively<br />
takes part in the environment related<br />
activities of the OECD, which plays a<br />
leading role in environment related initiatives<br />
through the information sharing<br />
among member states, policy development,<br />
and the evaluation of member<br />
states with regard to their performance in<br />
protecting the environment.<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> has been participating and contributing<br />
in the discussions on policy<br />
issues of various committees of the<br />
OECD, and has been selected this year to<br />
vice chair the Environment Policy<br />
Committee (EPOC) of the OECD. While<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> has been dispatching experts in the<br />
evaluation of the environment performances<br />
of OECD member states on one<br />
hand, it has also received environmental<br />
performance evaluation this year following<br />
last year's. In 2006, the OECD gave<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> the high mark of a striking<br />
progress for its achievement made in<br />
improving the environment.<br />
In the meantime, <strong>Korea</strong> has been hosting<br />
operational meetings and expert<br />
workshops of the OECD and seized them<br />
as opportunities to develop <strong>Korea</strong>'s environmental<br />
policies and institutions.<br />
Apart from these, <strong>Korea</strong> has prepared a<br />
cooperative master plan in 2005 to prevent<br />
the sand dust emanating from China with<br />
China, Japan, Mongolia, the Asian<br />
Development Bank (ADB) and the United<br />
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).<br />
At this year's World Economic Forum<br />
in Davos, a total of 23 major global risks<br />
were presented. The forum made a forecast<br />
that it anticipates such environmental<br />
risks as tropical storms, earthquakes, and<br />
floods along with water shortage due to<br />
unforeseen phenomena of the nature.<br />
What this signifies is that the environment<br />
is an important element that determines<br />
the fate of a society and economy.<br />
In case any nation fails to manage environmental<br />
risks properly, however, it will<br />
incur enormous social and economic losses,<br />
whereas proper forecasts and preparations<br />
will bring opportunities.<br />
When we look at the recent trends of<br />
the world, such as those concerning climate<br />
change and the EU's new chemicals<br />
regulations, the intensity of regulations<br />
has steadily grown to be more stringent<br />
for not only the earth's environment but<br />
also for the regional and domestic environment.<br />
If we do not tackle this issue<br />
without fully taking notice of such<br />
trends, the development of a country or<br />
an enterprise becomes a far-fetched idea.<br />
In the event that one fails to wisely<br />
cope with environmental risks and<br />
international regulations on the environment,<br />
it may lose not only competitiveness<br />
but also another opportunity to<br />
grow. Globally renowned corporations<br />
such as General Electric, IBM and Sony<br />
are reinforcing environmental management<br />
and investments, saying that the<br />
environment is the growth engine of the<br />
future. As <strong>Korea</strong> is no exception to this<br />
trend, large corporations including<br />
Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor<br />
Company and SK, are turning their eyes<br />
to environmental projects after declaring<br />
to follow environmental management.<br />
In conclusion, we must actively deal<br />
with environmental issues by realizing that<br />
the environment is not only a core element<br />
in raising the competitiveness of a country<br />
or a company but a question of our survival.<br />
3 0 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 3 1
Enviroment Day<br />
/ ENVICO<br />
By grafting <strong>IT</strong> technology onto environment<br />
disposal, <strong>Korea</strong><br />
Environment and Resources<br />
Corporation is bearing a part in making<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> into an environment power.<br />
The Electronic Waste Manifest System<br />
and an RFID-based infectious waste management<br />
system are such representative cases,<br />
according to president Ko Jae-young, <strong>Korea</strong><br />
Environment and Resources Corporation in<br />
an exclusive interview conducted by the<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Times</strong> on the occasion of the<br />
Environment Day on June 5th this year.<br />
In a nutshell, the electronic information<br />
system computerizes the whole process of<br />
waste disposal from generation through<br />
transportation to final disposal on the website<br />
www.wm-s-net.or.kr.<br />
ENVICO has operated the system since<br />
2nd International Exhibition Fair on<br />
Environmental technology in Vietnam<br />
President Ko Jae-young, <strong>Korea</strong><br />
Environment and Resources<br />
Corporation<br />
Environmental Technology<br />
Frontrunner<br />
2002 and extended the application to all<br />
35,000 waste dischargers by 2005, according<br />
to Ko. "In order to develop the system<br />
into a comprehensive waste information<br />
system, we are now adding more systems<br />
such as the online system that deals with<br />
civil applications for waste permission, and<br />
a statistical analysis system that analyzes<br />
the generation and treatment status of<br />
wastes real time," he said.<br />
Regarding operation of this Electronic<br />
Waste Manifest System, the environment<br />
veteran president said: "As over 85% of<br />
designation waste including infectious<br />
waste are properly managed through this<br />
system, the Corporation came to be able to<br />
secure scientific waste statistics material."<br />
When all of ENVICO's nationwide<br />
branches use this Electronic Waste<br />
Manifest System, he<br />
expected that this will<br />
contribute to administration<br />
expense reduction<br />
and administration<br />
affairs simplification to<br />
the tune of 120 billion<br />
won (US$130 million)<br />
worth of administration<br />
cost reduction and 9.8<br />
million hours reduction.<br />
Ko was proud of the<br />
fact that ENVICO is<br />
propelling oversea technology<br />
transfer of this<br />
Electronic Waste<br />
Manifest System to Vietnam by saying that<br />
the Corporation supports demo program<br />
development and system operation, technology<br />
special manpower nurturing education,<br />
system hardware and software construction<br />
as per the <strong>Korea</strong>-Vietnam memorandum<br />
of understanding concluded on<br />
December 13, 2006.<br />
Besides, the Corporation is scheduled to<br />
enlarge information exchange during the<br />
period from May through July this year<br />
with Japan Environment Ministry/Industrial<br />
Waste Disposal Promotion Center in connection<br />
with the Electronic Waste Manifest<br />
System, according to Ko.<br />
RFID-based system<br />
What's more, it deserves attention that<br />
ENVICO has established an RFID-based<br />
infectious waste management system by<br />
firstly applying the RFID, an advanced<br />
Radio Frequency Identification technology,<br />
to waste management.<br />
Through the test operation in 2005, it<br />
was now extended to be used in about<br />
50,000 hospitals as of 2006.<br />
Ko praised that ENVICO's RFID-based<br />
infectious waste management system is<br />
being posted as the most successful example<br />
among <strong>Korea</strong>'s Ministry of Information and<br />
Communication (MIC) RFID pilot projects.<br />
Regarding RFID application effects, the<br />
president explained: "First of all, it overcomes<br />
real-time input boundary by enabling<br />
an exact data confirmation through realtime<br />
transmission and reception by excluding<br />
wrong input possibility by means of<br />
electronic tags."<br />
RFID application improves affairs processes<br />
and efficiency among others through<br />
automation which has been attained by<br />
hand work.<br />
Moreover, it enables management supervision<br />
efficiency by allowing the entire hospital's<br />
waste disposal flow to grasp exactly<br />
through data's real-time abstraction which<br />
holds illegal connection possibility.<br />
In connection with ENVICO's RFIDbased<br />
infectious waste management system,<br />
Ko assessed: "The Corporation has prepared<br />
technological and institutional<br />
groundwork so that ENVICO can create a<br />
new business model to facilitate environment<br />
field <strong>IT</strong> application, thereby allowing<br />
to expand/apply to RFID/USN development<br />
stage."<br />
In a word, he epitomized that infectious<br />
waste's transparent management realization<br />
was enabled by means of this RFID-based<br />
infectious waste management system,<br />
adding that previous check plan for waste<br />
management was enabled with infectious<br />
waste policy's confidence improvement and<br />
waste disposal's transparency.<br />
Synergy effect of grafting <strong>IT</strong> technology<br />
On-the-spot photos by stages<br />
tag issuance/adhesion stage<br />
carrier acceptance stage<br />
President Ko (front) makes an inspection of confiscated goods<br />
custody storehouse<br />
warehousing stage<br />
Touching upon the fact that ENVICO<br />
has been contributing to environment<br />
preservation and recycling industry development<br />
by carrying out businesses for repressing<br />
waste generation, recycling and proper<br />
disposal, Ko emphasized: "The Corporation<br />
has converted anew with policy support<br />
function-oriented, which constructs circulation-model<br />
resource management system<br />
and ushers recycling policy through<br />
Extended Producer Responsibility institution<br />
operation, Electronic Waste Manifest<br />
System, and funding for recycling industry."<br />
Extended Producer Responsibility means<br />
that the producer bears a degree of responsibility<br />
for the products to the end of their useful<br />
life by being imposed a mandatory recycling<br />
amount on the products and paying<br />
recycling dues on the unfulfilled amounts.<br />
The responsibilities of the producer have<br />
mainly been limited to developing environmentally<br />
responsible products; but the new<br />
EPR system requires the producer to<br />
assume a broader range of responsibility for<br />
the post-consumer stage, Ko said.<br />
With regard to<br />
its funding for the<br />
recycling industry,<br />
ENVICO has been<br />
endeavoring to<br />
prevent the waste<br />
of resources since<br />
1994 through<br />
actively promoting<br />
waste recycling<br />
programs that lead<br />
to the establishment<br />
of a sustainable<br />
resource recycling<br />
society, by<br />
handler vehicle<br />
warehousing stage<br />
discharger delivery stage<br />
handler incineration stage<br />
providing low interest loans to domestic<br />
recycling businesses.<br />
From the year 2007, ENVICO's affairs<br />
become even more specialized and subdivided,<br />
according to Ko. Thus, the<br />
Corporation is carrying out businesses to<br />
utilize confiscated goods as resources by<br />
teaming up with a police office in Seoul<br />
area and the Ministry of Culture and<br />
Tourism for example.<br />
Urgent environment power construction<br />
In relation to his management philosophy,<br />
Ko stressed: "Corporations under the<br />
influence of the government must make<br />
efforts from now on for their management<br />
rationalization and profit creation rather<br />
than remaining at a merely public undertaking<br />
any more."<br />
According to such strategy, ENVICO is<br />
pursuing projects to create new profit structure<br />
aggressively including waste disposal<br />
facility installation inspection diagnosis<br />
affairs, collection business for disposing<br />
useless transformers safely and the<br />
Corporation's 2010 vision in the long run,<br />
according to Ko.<br />
In the light of the fact that the 21st century<br />
is the era of environment, the environment-veteran<br />
concluded: "<strong>Korea</strong> too must<br />
become an environment power globally to<br />
afford environment brand to be able to present<br />
to the world."<br />
3 2 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 3 3
U.S. $9.00 / KOR.£8,500<br />
ISSN 1739-2950<br />
05<br />
Policy Direction<br />
/ <strong>Korea</strong> Post<br />
Jung Kyung-won, president of <strong>Korea</strong> Post<br />
"I believe that a person's personality and<br />
work ethic comes from the basics. And a<br />
firm base will hold us tight and give us the<br />
strength through any difficult time.<br />
Therefore, my personal business philosophy<br />
is back to basics," said the newly-inaugurated<br />
fourth President of the <strong>Korea</strong> Post Jung<br />
Kyung-won. Through an interview with the<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Times</strong>, President Jung added more<br />
of his business philosophy. "The customers<br />
are always right. I will always keep that in<br />
mind as I run the <strong>Korea</strong> Post. When we<br />
work up to build a firm base and use our creativity,<br />
the capability of the organization will<br />
increase, the image will be strengthened and<br />
the service quality will also increase to win<br />
our customers' hearts and keep them at<br />
home. The <strong>Korea</strong> Post is called Oo Jung in<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n. Oo Jung in <strong>Korea</strong>n also means<br />
friendship. Oo Jung, the <strong>Korea</strong> Post will<br />
work to build friendship."<br />
Jung has shown his devotion to the<br />
Ministry of Information and Communication<br />
since 1979, from the first day he started to<br />
serve the government. From his contribution<br />
in broadband convergence networking to<br />
establishing a hub in Daejeon Exchange<br />
Center to monitor the flow of mail parcels in<br />
real time through CCTV and many other<br />
numerous accomplishments in the time<br />
between, he has never stopped to contribute<br />
to the growth of the <strong>Korea</strong>n <strong>IT</strong> industry.<br />
Since the president was one of the first to<br />
adopt an automatic information system in<br />
traditional postal service days, a change from<br />
analog to digital, the question followed to his<br />
newest accomplishment hub. He explained:<br />
"The <strong>Korea</strong> Post recently established a<br />
Central Management System on top of our<br />
newest achievement hub. Using <strong>IT</strong> technology<br />
at the hub in Daejeon Exchange Center,<br />
the Hub was designed to efficiently distribute<br />
mail. The Hub allows us to monitor mail in<br />
real-time and tracks the postal delivery flow<br />
all over the country using CCTV channels<br />
set up in every state and GPS GIS sets on<br />
every postal service car to insure efficient<br />
delivery. As time has become gold for modern<br />
people, I believe that fast postal travel is<br />
our priority to focus on," he continued. "The<br />
Overall Postal Central Management System<br />
allows the customers to check eight step<br />
delivery states via a website or call centers.<br />
We monitor each step of the delivery through<br />
the system and send text messages to our<br />
customers informing them of the delivery<br />
state, he said. "In order to assist a faster<br />
delivery service, we provided PDAs to our<br />
mailmen, which saved us an hour at least<br />
compared to prior deliveries," he Jung<br />
explained.<br />
All the effort towards fast delivery service<br />
seems to pay off. The <strong>Korea</strong> Post,<br />
which met a deficit in 2003, is now working<br />
in a Golden Age since 2006. The profit<br />
from parcels increased by 22% compared to<br />
Using Digital<br />
Information<br />
for Analog<br />
Information<br />
Flow<br />
last year. Promotion of the Express Mail<br />
Service (EMS) and building up a descent<br />
business relationship with foreign post<br />
offices contributed to this result as well.<br />
Jung's goal for 2007 is to take it a step<br />
further and focus on <strong>Korea</strong> Post <strong>IT</strong> exports.<br />
"We are about to start target marketing to<br />
postal <strong>IT</strong> exportable countries who have<br />
great potential. We will strengthen partnerships<br />
and promote advertisements. We are<br />
trying to get support from the government to<br />
have PostNet, the system we use to distribute<br />
parcels, reach overseas." At the current<br />
date, <strong>Korea</strong> Post contributes to one third<br />
of the county's export property. The<br />
President's ambition is for Postal <strong>IT</strong> to contribute<br />
more in exports this year. "In order<br />
to meet our goal in exporting, <strong>Korea</strong> Post<br />
recently established an Export Managing<br />
Department to support Memorandums of<br />
Understanding between the countries, provide<br />
consulting for foreign postal modernizing,<br />
and promote the <strong>Korea</strong> Post overseas by<br />
attending Post Expos and international conferences."<br />
As matter of fact, the <strong>Korea</strong> Post<br />
will sign a MOU with Vietnam this month.<br />
He noted: "The purpose of this visit to<br />
Vietnam is to exchange thoughts on developing<br />
both countries' postal services, sharing<br />
postal experts, and exchanging postal business<br />
experiences. This MOU will eventually<br />
give <strong>Korea</strong>n <strong>IT</strong> enterprise an opportunity<br />
to enter Vietnam."<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> systems are also being wanted<br />
by some countries like Indonesia,<br />
Kazakhstan, and Malaysia. They are in partnership<br />
with <strong>Korea</strong> Post as well in recent<br />
years. Moreover, countries like Egypt,<br />
Algeria, Mongolia, Brunei, and Pakistan<br />
have visited <strong>Korea</strong> for benchmarking.<br />
The <strong>Korea</strong> Post started a new management<br />
technique called 6 Sigma from August<br />
2003. Until 2006, 554 tasks were improved<br />
and led to gain US$75 million. And we<br />
have trained 538 experts who are specialized<br />
in 6 Sigma. They are working as a reform<br />
leader at this point. The <strong>Korea</strong> Post has been<br />
continuously developing 6 Sigma over the<br />
long term, building management systems to<br />
manage its work in efficiency. Also, the<br />
organization is giving out training and early<br />
education to expand the reform culture.<br />
Jung further noted: "As a result, the <strong>Korea</strong><br />
Post had won the 2006 6 Sigma Award over<br />
all the private enterprises. <strong>Korea</strong>n Industrial<br />
Property, Supreme Public Prosecutor's<br />
Office, and Kyonggi Province already<br />
showed their high interest in post 6 Sigma<br />
and developed into benchmarking." The<br />
president added: "In 2005, we started<br />
Maintenance, Repair, and Operation (MRO)<br />
as a pioneer in government office and<br />
reduced the 7 to 14 day delivery to 2 to 4 days<br />
in the marketplace. That saved US$700,000<br />
for the <strong>Korea</strong> Post. We even lowered the<br />
morning express delivery rate to 95.2%, still<br />
saving US$1.1 million by improving the<br />
express mail working process."<br />
The Post Office Insurance is expected to<br />
be weakened due to Free Trade Agreement<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> recently built with America.<br />
President Jung expects "the continual<br />
growth of financial institutions and its subsidization."<br />
As the competition is expected to<br />
be tough, Mr. Jung prepared: "This year, we<br />
established one hundred eighty-two 365<br />
Automatic Service Corners and forty-six<br />
customer service rooms to provide convenience<br />
to users. We are planning to find the<br />
villages in the countryside of <strong>Korea</strong> that still<br />
has no easy access to financial institutes to<br />
provide services to them. We will also train<br />
financial experts on a regular basis to<br />
strengthen the business range. As far as our<br />
insurance business is concerned, we will<br />
come up with common interest items like<br />
donation insurance or funeral insurance. In<br />
2007, we will focus on training our elite<br />
employees to strengthen marketing and to<br />
come up with creative items that the citizens<br />
need."<br />
Having Back to the Basics as his business<br />
philosophy and Consider Others as his<br />
motto, the president is credited as a true<br />
businessman with a human touch. Jung stated:<br />
"It is the <strong>Korea</strong> Post's duty to provide<br />
affordable postal services with the best quality<br />
service that is available anywhere at anytime."<br />
"<strong>Korea</strong> has the best information technology<br />
that would be competitive anywhere.<br />
By applying such information technology<br />
into postal services, we are seeking to build<br />
a ubiquitous post office in the future,"<br />
President Jung Kyung-won marked as a<br />
conclusion.<br />
"Until the day our post offices take a big<br />
part in serving the citizens as blood vessels<br />
in our body that connects every little organ,<br />
our undying effort will continue."<br />
5 Fl, Hyundai Intellex Bldg, 261, Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, <strong>Korea</strong>(135-832) Government registration No. Seoul-Ra-10914 Tel: (82-2)3459-0664~0665 Fax.:(82-2)514--7183<br />
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Phone: 82-2-3459-0664<br />
E-mail: info@ittimes.co.kr<br />
3 4 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 3 5
Information Culture Month<br />
Interview with KADO<br />
Series of<br />
Fortunate Events<br />
Information and Communication<br />
Yesterday and Today<br />
The Information Culture Month has<br />
reached its twentieth birthday and<br />
has contributed a big role to our<br />
country's information development. At this<br />
twentieth anniversary month, 75 different<br />
events will be held in 42 different places<br />
under the theme Unification of Hopeful<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> in Digital. Some of the events will<br />
include Information and Communication<br />
Yesterday and Today which is the<br />
Information and Communication Historical<br />
Documents Exhibition, Month of<br />
Information and Culture Opening<br />
Ceremony, Information Culture<br />
Conference and Informative World for the<br />
disabled and elders.<br />
Information and Communication<br />
Yesterday and Today especially is the starting<br />
event of the Information and Culture<br />
Month that looks back at the last twenty<br />
years of information that has been impacting<br />
in our lives and society that provides variety<br />
of things to see. Anyone who is interested<br />
may participate in this particular event.<br />
Information and Communication Yesterday<br />
and Today started on June 1, 10:30 in the<br />
morning in front of the Ministry of<br />
Information and Communication and will<br />
continue until June 20.<br />
The Information and<br />
Communication Yesterday and Today<br />
event will provide variety of things to<br />
take a look at and experience. There<br />
will be new technology testing zones,<br />
event zones, and 12 scenes and chronicles,<br />
historical document bequest<br />
zone, and a policy publicity zone. The<br />
historical document bequest zone will<br />
display the CDMA and the electronic<br />
telephone exchanger. In a video zone,<br />
there are 5 animations regarding stories<br />
based on history and the 21 selected<br />
information and communication from<br />
DaeHan News that used to be shown as<br />
previews before the movies started in the<br />
theaters up to 1994. The twelve scenes of<br />
Information and Communication, in particular,<br />
is the zone where visitors can see the<br />
evolution of our information and communication<br />
history at a glance. This zone will<br />
be very educational to teenagers because<br />
the displays connect a modern broadcast<br />
communication technology to our history<br />
in the past. At the event or experience<br />
zone, visitors can experience Morse Code<br />
and make stamps in the way they want.<br />
by Chun Go-eun<br />
toclair@ittimes.co.kr<br />
The new technology experience zone has<br />
IPTV, WiBro, home network and 3.5G<br />
video phones.<br />
In the same building complex,<br />
Ubiquitous Dream Hall and KT Art Hall's<br />
daily musical performance is going on an<br />
everyday basis, so whoever visits the<br />
Information and Communication<br />
Yesterday and Today will have more than<br />
the event itself to be entertained. The<br />
Ministry of Information and<br />
Communication expects citizens to participate<br />
in events and be informed to the new<br />
technology and cover what has taken part<br />
in <strong>Korea</strong>n <strong>IT</strong> history.<br />
Son Yeon-gi, president and CEO of KADO<br />
The Month of Information Culture<br />
was established in 1988 to commemorate<br />
the introduction of the<br />
computer to <strong>Korea</strong> in 1967 and the successful<br />
completion of nationwide telephone<br />
automation in 1987. It has been held as an<br />
occasion to spread sound information culture<br />
and invigorate the productive utilization<br />
of information.<br />
Various events are organized to offer<br />
opportunities to the public to look back at<br />
the footprints of computerization, including<br />
the development history of the information<br />
and communication industry and the social<br />
and cultural changes that arose from<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s transition toward a more computerized<br />
society based on information.<br />
In addition to the commemorative ceremony<br />
scheduled for June 7 at the COEX<br />
Auditorium, a series of events are scheduled<br />
nationwide. The events start with the<br />
Week of Participation and Sharing which is<br />
from June 1 to 10, The Promotion of<br />
Information Utilization from June 11 to 20<br />
and The Sound Use of the Internet from<br />
June 21 to 30. The events include various<br />
volunteer activities to be held jointly by the<br />
government and civil organizations, an<br />
information gala for the handicapped and<br />
conferences on information culture.<br />
"These commemorative events," says<br />
Son Yeon-gi, president and CEO of the<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> Agency for Digital Opportunity &<br />
Promotion (KADO), "will offer us good<br />
opportunities to look at the influences of<br />
the informationalization of <strong>Korea</strong>n society<br />
and form a social consensus on the visions<br />
for a desirable information culture in the<br />
ubiquitous world."<br />
Son said KADO will strengthen the<br />
rights of the underprivileged to facilitate<br />
their easy access to information and actively<br />
respond to new gaps.<br />
"Firstly," Son continued, "we will fortify<br />
the web access of the public sector and<br />
embark on the TRS [trunked radio system]<br />
service in earnest so that we can innovatively<br />
improve the <strong>IT</strong> accessibility for the<br />
disabled and the elderly. Also, we will<br />
expand the supply of <strong>IT</strong> devices to<br />
strengthen the foundation where the weak<br />
can better access information. At the same<br />
time, we will support the development of<br />
<strong>IT</strong> devices that fit the special needs of the<br />
handicapped.<br />
"Secondly, through the practical education<br />
of the underprivileged, we have continuously<br />
been alleviating the information<br />
utilization gap and have strived to promote<br />
the productive utilization of information.<br />
For this, we will educate about 5 million<br />
underprivileged people by the year 2010<br />
and expand it for the new brackets of the<br />
weak, including the handicapped, the poor<br />
and the elderly, farmers and fishermen,<br />
escapees from North <strong>Korea</strong> and migrant<br />
workers."<br />
"Thirdly, through the policies on solving<br />
the information gap, we have been actively<br />
involved in finding solutions to the pending<br />
social problems, including economic bipolarization,<br />
ageing, etc. Among others, we<br />
plan to provide specialized education to<br />
young people and create jobs for the elderly.<br />
"Lastly, we plan to strengthen <strong>Korea</strong>'s<br />
global leadership in the <strong>IT</strong> field by continuously<br />
solving the information gap among<br />
countries," Son explained.<br />
To this end, KADO is newly carrying<br />
out special projects to dispatch <strong>IT</strong> Special<br />
Advisory Teams to provide cooperative<br />
assistance in the <strong>IT</strong> field to Vietnam and<br />
Indonesia for a period of three to four<br />
months starting next month.<br />
The invitational training of overseas <strong>IT</strong><br />
experts and corporate leaders for transmitting<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s information system model<br />
started in 1998. Until 2006, it discharged<br />
2,102 recipients of the education from 99<br />
countries. And this year, the education will<br />
be offered to 292 persons.<br />
Since 2002, KADO has constructed a<br />
total of 10 information centers of the <strong>Korea</strong>ntype<br />
<strong>IT</strong> infrastructure in developing countries,<br />
building two every year. Especially<br />
from this year onwards, KADO plans to<br />
build three information centers every year.<br />
In terms of dispatching youth service<br />
teams for the promulgation of the Internet<br />
overseas, KADO has dispatched a total of<br />
1,650 young men and women of <strong>IT</strong> talent<br />
to 57 countries since 2001 until last year.<br />
This year, KADO plans to dispatch 320<br />
persons.<br />
On May 16, the United Nations'<br />
International Telecommunication Union<br />
(<strong>IT</strong>U) announced that <strong>Korea</strong> ranked top in<br />
the digital opportunity indices of 181 countries<br />
in the world and placed <strong>Korea</strong> at the<br />
top for three consecutive years.<br />
3 6 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 3 7
Open <strong>Korea</strong><br />
Asian Games to Mark<br />
Incheon as One of<br />
World's Top 10 Cities<br />
by Lee Kyung-min<br />
kslee6489@hanmail.net<br />
An Sang-soo, mayor of the<br />
Incheon Metropolitan City<br />
With the hosting of the 2014<br />
Asian Games, Incheon will<br />
enter the list of the world's top<br />
10 cities, An Sang-soo, mayor of the<br />
Incheon Metropolitan City, said.<br />
The hosting of the international sports<br />
games will provide Incheon with a good<br />
chance to develop into a world class city, An<br />
said in an interview with the <strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Times</strong>.<br />
"The Asian Games is expected to bring<br />
about 13 trillion won in economic income<br />
[US$14 billion], 5.6 trillion won [US$6 billion]<br />
in effects on value added inducement<br />
and 270,000 persons in effects on employment<br />
inducement," said the city mayor.<br />
"The more important fact is that we will<br />
nearly complete the Incheon Free Economic<br />
Zone Development Project centering on<br />
Songdo international city in 2014.<br />
Accordingly, the international publicity effect<br />
of Incheon stemming from the hosting of the<br />
2014 Asian Games will be great," he said.<br />
"For instance, huge amounts of overseas<br />
capital will flow into Incheon, the international<br />
brand value of Incheon will go up<br />
higher in keeping with the globalization era,<br />
and Incheon will build its image as a futureoriented<br />
new city equipped with the hub airport<br />
of Northeast Asia," said An.<br />
Asked about the most important tasks<br />
Incheon has to do to become a hub of<br />
Northeast Asia, the mayor said: "As<br />
Incheon is adjacent to Seoul, citizens'<br />
degree of desire for living conditions,<br />
including education, culture and residential<br />
environment in Incheon is higher than other<br />
cities. However, the degree of citizens' satisfaction<br />
is very low.<br />
"Accordingly, we are striving to come<br />
out with systematic measures to improve<br />
living conditions and satisfy citizens' rising<br />
demands," he said.<br />
Meanwhile, the opening of Incheon<br />
International Airport, rapid emergence of<br />
China on the international stage, active development<br />
of the western area and emergence of<br />
knowledge-based economic system have<br />
been enhancing the importance of Incheon.<br />
On the blueprint<br />
of the Incheon Free<br />
Economic Zone, the<br />
mayor said that it is<br />
the national project to<br />
build a top-class business<br />
city in Northeast<br />
Asia by 2020.<br />
Noting that three<br />
districts -- Songdo, Yeongjong and<br />
Cheongna -- will be intensively developed in<br />
the Incheon Free Economic Zone, he said:<br />
"We aim to develop the IFEZ into the best<br />
business center city of Northeast Asia by creating<br />
most attractive business environment<br />
and living conditions."<br />
The Songdo district on a land of 16 million<br />
pyeong (52.8 million m2) will be developed<br />
into advanced industrial city housing, a<br />
convention center, the Asia Trade Center, a<br />
foreign hospital and a luxurious hotel.<br />
The Yeongjong district on a land of 41<br />
million pyeong (135.3 million m2) will be fostered<br />
as the core base of aviation and logistics.<br />
And the Cheongna district on a land of 5.3<br />
million pyeong (17.4 million m2) will be<br />
developed into an international tourism and<br />
leisure estate housing an Asian village, a<br />
theme park, a golf course and an R&D center.<br />
"In 2002 when the economic zone development<br />
project is finished, Incheon will<br />
enjoy 53.4 trillion won [US$57.6 billion] in<br />
production inducement amount, 22.4 trillion<br />
won [US$24.2 billion] in value added<br />
inducement amount and 130,000 new jobs,<br />
playing a key role as a top-class economyoriented<br />
city in Northeast Asia," he said.<br />
As for the present achievements and<br />
problems facing the development of the<br />
Incheon Free Economic Zone, An said:<br />
"The Songdo district will be developed into<br />
an advanced industrial city centering on<br />
Incheon Stadium<br />
international business, <strong>IT</strong> and BT. For example, we are now<br />
constructing an international business estate, a knowledge<br />
information industry estate, an advanced bio estate and a residential<br />
estate."<br />
"In particular, in the international business estate, we are<br />
constructing a convention center for completion in April, 2008,<br />
the Songdo international school for opening in September<br />
2008, and the 65-floor Asia Trade Center for completion in<br />
2010," said the mayor.<br />
"We started the construction of Incheon Bridge connecting<br />
the Songdo district and the Yeongjong district in June 2005 and<br />
finished 39 percent of the whole process, aiming to complete<br />
the project in October 2009," he explained.<br />
Incheon Bridge to be built through an advanced construction<br />
method of AMEK of Britain and Samsung is expected to<br />
greatly contribute to attracting foreign investment in the<br />
Incheon Free Economic Zone, while improving access of users<br />
of Incheon and the metropolitan area to the Incheon<br />
International Airport.<br />
The Yeongjong district is being developed into a core base<br />
of international tourism, aviation logistics and industry.<br />
Related to this, it received due approval for construction of the<br />
Unbuk Complex Leisure Estate on an 830,000 pyeong (2.73<br />
million m2) plot of land in August 2005 and the Yongyu, Muui<br />
Tourism Estate on a 2.13 million pyeong (6.39 million m2) plot<br />
in September 2006.<br />
Meanwhile, the Cheongna district will be developed into an<br />
international financing and leisure estate consisting of financial &<br />
leisure estate, floricultural estate and GM Daewoo R&D Center.<br />
The construction work for the GM Daewoo R&D Center,<br />
which started in September 2005, will be completed in 2012.<br />
As for the difficulties facing the Incheon Free Economic<br />
Zone Development Project, An pointed out easing of regulations,<br />
including the laws regulating the metropolitan area,<br />
financial assistance and system reform.<br />
"To compete with neighboring cities such as Hong Kong,<br />
Singapore, Pudong, Shanghai and Dubai, we should push for<br />
efficiency-centered theory such as selection and concentration,<br />
away from the theory of equality for balanced regional development.<br />
At the same time, we keenly need institutional supports<br />
for free economic zone," said the mayor.<br />
INTERVIEW<br />
The following are excerpts from an interview with<br />
An Sang-soo, mayor of the Incheon Metropolitan City.<br />
Q: Incheon City succeeded in attracting the 2014 Asian<br />
Games successfully. For successful hosting of the international<br />
event, Incheon should secure enough top-class stadiums<br />
and accommodating facilities. Would you introduce<br />
the Incheon city's plan?<br />
A: First of all, we will use Munhak Stadium where the 2002<br />
World Cup finals were held as the main stadium for the 2014<br />
Asian Games.<br />
In addition, we will build comprehensive sports facilities<br />
suitable for each sports item in six places.<br />
By using 980,000 pyeong [3.23 million m2] of reclaimed<br />
land in the metropolitan area, we will build a Dream Park<br />
equipped with a horse riding stadium, a boat race stadium, a<br />
shooting range and a water polo stadium.<br />
To host the Asian games, a total of 4.9 trillion won [US$5.3<br />
billion] will be needed. Accordingly, we will spend 1.6 trillion<br />
won [US$1.73 billion] from the state coffer, 2.6 trillion won<br />
[US$2.8 billion] from the city coffer, and the remaining 700<br />
billion won [US$755 million] from private investment.<br />
Q: For successful hosting of the 2014 Asian Games, what<br />
would you request of the <strong>Korea</strong>n people, including<br />
Incheon citizens?<br />
A: To hold the international event successfully, the central<br />
government's active assistance is indispensable and a number<br />
of investors should participate in the construction sector.<br />
I think Incheon can host the Asian Games successfully only<br />
when citizens actively participate in the event with passion and<br />
sacrifice.<br />
Once again, I sincerely request citizens' help under the belief<br />
that the successful hosting of the 2014 Asian Games is a shortcut<br />
for Incheon to become a top-class international city.<br />
Q: Would you comment on the status of introduction of<br />
foreign capital in the Incheon Free Economic Zone?<br />
A: Despite difficulties in attracting foreign investment,<br />
the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) has so far attracted<br />
a total of US$28.8 billion in foreign investment in 25 cases.<br />
Of the total, IFEZ concluded main contracts worth US$16<br />
billion in 15 cases, including those concerning Gale,<br />
Celltrion, Incheon Bridge, Logistics (Schenker), GM<br />
Daewoo, Cheongna Theme Park Golf Course and robot<br />
assembly (Gudel AG).<br />
It also signed MOU worth US$12.8 billion in 10 cases,<br />
including those concerning an international school, logistics<br />
center AMB and Yonsei University.<br />
INTERVIEW<br />
3 8 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 3 9
Preview Event / Jeju<br />
United Cities, Local Governments<br />
World Congress in Jeju<br />
By Lee Kyong-hwan<br />
khlee@ittimes.co.kr<br />
Kim Tae-hwan, governor of the Special<br />
Self-Governing Province of Jeju<br />
The 2nd United Cities and Local<br />
Governments (UCLG) World<br />
Congress will be held in Jeju Island<br />
from October 28 until October 31 this year<br />
at the International Convention Center Jeju<br />
(ICC Jeju).<br />
In the UCLG World Congress, about<br />
2,000 representatives of local governments<br />
around the world will attend the meeting to<br />
share ideas in several local government<br />
issues such as politics, society, economy<br />
and culture. Civilian partners such as<br />
NGOs and associations will also be seeking<br />
close cooperation for the effective running<br />
of local governments.<br />
Holding the UCLG World Congress in<br />
the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is<br />
expected to shed new light on the meaning<br />
of local self-governance and prove to be a<br />
big opportunity to promote Jeju.<br />
Kim Tae-hwan, governor of the Special<br />
Self-Governing Province of Jeju, noted:<br />
"Through this event, the regional economy<br />
can be boosted with positive social and cultural<br />
effects. I have high expectations that it<br />
will prove to be an opportunity to rev up the<br />
convention industry in a region renowned<br />
for natural beauty."<br />
"More than that," continued Governor<br />
Kim, "Jeju is an ideal place for discussing<br />
such important issues as peace, poverty,<br />
inequality, and cultural diversity. And we<br />
are prepared to make contributions to raising<br />
the quality of life of not only our citizens but<br />
also the people of the whole world."<br />
United cities, local governments<br />
UCLG is an organization that promotes<br />
shared benefits and ideals through the democratization<br />
of and cooperation among local<br />
governments, seeking to form an international<br />
community based on this foundation.<br />
The objectives of UCLG include the following:<br />
the strengthening of democratic<br />
local governments; cooperation and union;<br />
playing the role of a political spokesperson<br />
for local governments worldwide; playing<br />
the role as a major information center for<br />
local governments; the bolstering of the<br />
self-governance of local governments and<br />
national councils; racial and sexual equality;<br />
the reinforcing of the diversity of the rule<br />
by local governments; and the strengthening<br />
the cooperation for decentralization,<br />
international cooperation, and partnerships<br />
between local governments.<br />
With its headquarters in Barcelona,<br />
Spain, UCLG currently is comprised of<br />
over 1,000 cities in 127 countries as members.<br />
Together with the United Nations,<br />
UCLG has been playing a leading role in<br />
relation to the Millennium Development<br />
Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations.<br />
Changing cities are driving our<br />
world<br />
The main theme of the 2nd UCLG<br />
World Congress, Jeju 2007 is Changing<br />
Jeju scenery<br />
Cities Are Driving Our World. The theme<br />
of the congress selected by the UCLG<br />
World Council emphasizes the diversity of<br />
local governments and their important roles.<br />
"The main theme expresses well the current<br />
situation in which the role of local governments<br />
in bringing about the necessary<br />
changes for the prosperity of the whole<br />
world is more important than at any other<br />
time," said Jeju Governor Kim. The main<br />
theme deals with practical topics for solving<br />
common problems in detail. The topics are<br />
as follows: Cities the future of humanity:<br />
addressing climate change; City Diplomacy:<br />
Local governments building peace; and<br />
2015: A better world is possible Local governments<br />
in new global governance.<br />
Fourteen workshop topics<br />
The congress has 14 workshop topics.<br />
The congress will share practical and concrete<br />
issues that each local government can<br />
confront, including the decentralization of<br />
power, multiculturalism, the environment,<br />
and their solutions. It aims to materialize<br />
the local self-government that is democratic<br />
and peaceful and that makes the locality a<br />
good place to live in. The 14 workshop topics<br />
are as follows:<br />
1. A world closer to its citizens: progress<br />
in decentralization and local democracy<br />
in the 21st century<br />
2. Towards 2015: local government's<br />
plan to achieve the Millennium<br />
Development Goals<br />
3. Financing urban explosion: local<br />
authorities' vision<br />
4. Local democracy, participative<br />
democracy: the key to social inclusion<br />
5. Culture within multicultural cities -<br />
Agenda 21 for culture<br />
6. New technologies changing our lives<br />
and changing local governments<br />
7. Metropolitan challenges: competitiveness<br />
and cooperation, performance<br />
and quality of life, center and suburbs<br />
8. Access to basic services for all: Dream<br />
or reality?<br />
9. Association capacity building for good<br />
local governance: Achievements and<br />
perspectives<br />
10. The cities of tomorrow: New ecological<br />
cities, digital cities, museum<br />
cities, widespread cities, compact<br />
cities, secure cities<br />
11. Urban mobility: Adapting to the new<br />
ways of life<br />
12. Biodiversity, climate change, environment<br />
protection: sustainable cities<br />
where people and nature coexist<br />
13. International expositions, Olympic<br />
Games, mega festivals: Cities for<br />
worldwide recognition<br />
14. Local governance facing pandemics<br />
Too many people moving to cities<br />
Jeju Governor Kim stated: "In the 2nd<br />
UCLG World Congress, UCLG will discuss<br />
diverse issues on responding to the too<br />
many people moving to cities. Right now,<br />
we are directly confronting an enormous<br />
challenging task. In order to solve such a<br />
problem that is common to mankind, the<br />
international community must pay attention<br />
to the powerful potentials and exemplary<br />
achievements of local governments. For<br />
this, the members and partners of UCLG<br />
gathering in Jeju must exert great efforts<br />
with professional knowledge, experience<br />
and passion."<br />
The beautiful city with high<br />
quality of life<br />
Ahead of the UCLG World Congress,<br />
Governor Kim Tae-hwan prepared a message<br />
to be delivered to the participants of<br />
the world congress. His message includes<br />
important points, outlined here.<br />
The value of the natural environment of<br />
Jeju is recognized to have much higher<br />
value than it seems. Having already designated<br />
as a life preservation region by<br />
UNESCO, Jeju is expected to be named a<br />
natural heritage this year thanks to its<br />
unique natural environment and geological<br />
features. Furthermore, Jeju City has been<br />
selected as a city of good health by the<br />
World Health Organization (WHO). All in<br />
all, the city is reputed to be the beautiful city<br />
where a high quality of life can be enjoyed.<br />
In terms of self-governance, Jeju Province<br />
has been improving the living conditions by<br />
strengthening its education, including the<br />
establishment of an English only town. The<br />
number of countries' citizens that can visit<br />
Jeju without a visa has been expanding, and<br />
the number of foreign tourists has been<br />
increasing. The tourism industry, too, has<br />
Governor Kim tends his trees<br />
seen its industrial infrastructure and contents<br />
differentiated. Many kinds of tourism-related<br />
rights have been applied to fit the actual circumstances<br />
of the Jeju region. The basis for<br />
medical tourism, a newly rising industry, has<br />
been laid down and the health and medical<br />
treatment development plan has been formulated.<br />
In addition, major policies, including<br />
those related to public medical treatment,<br />
have been reinforced.<br />
Agriculture, livestock, and fisheries have<br />
been fostered, and the living conditions<br />
have been improved. Moreover, the basis<br />
for managing the clean environment and<br />
underground water has been prepared.<br />
Lastly, with its special brand and incentives,<br />
Jeju has been attracting the attention from<br />
home and abroad especially because of its<br />
differentiated system and its being a model<br />
of successful self-government and decentralization<br />
of power.<br />
As a self-governing province that maintains<br />
cooperative ties with 18 regions in 11<br />
countries, Jeju has been endeavoring to<br />
form a truly international free city, in which<br />
people, products, and capital move freely.<br />
4 0 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 4 1
<strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference 2007<br />
Enabling Fusion of<br />
Technology,<br />
Digital Convergence<br />
This year's <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference will<br />
be the most substantial conference,<br />
according to professors<br />
responsible for this conference's comprehensive<br />
proceeding.<br />
In hopes of illuminating the mega<br />
trends of <strong>IT</strong> technology in the 21st century<br />
and securing national <strong>IT</strong> technology<br />
and industrial competitiveness, the <strong>Korea</strong><br />
Information Processing Society (KIPS)<br />
has been holding the yearly <strong>IT</strong> 21<br />
Conference as a ground in which opinions<br />
from the industrial world, the academic<br />
world, the research world, and<br />
governmental circles can be garnered.<br />
For the remaining period till the<br />
Conference, Professor Kim Byung-Ki of<br />
the Department of Computer and<br />
Information Science at Chonnam<br />
National University who serves concurrently<br />
as KIPS chairman, said: "For the<br />
purpose of its publicity maximization,<br />
the Society will unfold the Conference<br />
introduction activity and publicity<br />
through KIPS homepage, KIPS member<br />
mail and through sending pamphlets to<br />
information and telecommunicationrelated<br />
universities, research institutes<br />
and corporations."<br />
Through this <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference, he<br />
notes: "The Conference is eager to present<br />
its strategy and vision about the next-generation<br />
growth engine industry after the<br />
year 2008 to the nation, introduce industry<br />
competitiveness security way for corporations,<br />
and the core technologies to enable<br />
the next-generation growth engine for the<br />
academic world."<br />
In relation to last year's Conference<br />
outcome, Kim assessed: "Last year's <strong>IT</strong><br />
21 Conference has been propelled with<br />
the aim to collect the latest information<br />
about u-infrastructure technology, u-<br />
Application technology, and u-Business<br />
technology besides forming a human network<br />
at home and abroad and grasping<br />
the present condition for the sake of associated<br />
technology industrialization."<br />
Regarding <strong>Korea</strong>'s next-generation <strong>IT</strong><br />
growth engine outlook, the chairman<br />
emphasized: "Provided we don't intensively<br />
nurture Enabling Technology,<br />
Digital Convergence, and New Industry<br />
Fusion fields, our growth engine has no<br />
by Yeo Hong-il<br />
hiyeo@ittimes.co.kr<br />
choice but to stop." In particular, he<br />
stressed that related business circles must<br />
unearth and create next-generation <strong>IT</strong><br />
growth engine technology by nurturing<br />
diverse fields and by securing the core<br />
technology ranging from soft infrastructure,<br />
Open System Architecture, HCI to<br />
broadcasting communication convergence,<br />
virtual reality, information technology,<br />
biotechnology, nanotechnology<br />
and intelligence-model robotics.<br />
In reference to its publicity plan for the<br />
remaining period at home and abroad,<br />
Professor Yang Young-kyu of the College<br />
of Software at Kyungwon University who<br />
is on the Conference's publicity committee,<br />
stressed: "The basic of its publicity is<br />
the best to select themes befitting their<br />
interest and to secure prominent speakers<br />
so that participants are interested."<br />
It is of no use if themes can't attract<br />
the interest of the audience, he pointed<br />
out. He said that this Conference's academic<br />
committee has composed today's<br />
substantial for reflecting on the urgent<br />
problem of the next full growth of the<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n <strong>IT</strong> economy.<br />
Industrial survival strategy<br />
The 2007 <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference's main<br />
theme is Industrial Survival Strategy for<br />
Next Generation Information<br />
Technology. Such a theme is to maximize<br />
corporate competitiveness improvement<br />
through discussion regarding mutual<br />
exchange and opinion interchange of<br />
information technology development<br />
direction along with new information<br />
technology's dissemination which is<br />
being deemed to be an important part of a<br />
survival strategy for corporations,<br />
explained professor Kim Byung-ki.<br />
INTERVIEW<br />
Professor Kim Byung-ki, KIPS Chairman<br />
Q: What is KIPS' contribution plan<br />
for corporate competitiveness<br />
improvement and the development<br />
of information technology in the<br />
21st century?<br />
A: In preparation for convergence<br />
technology which is at the center of a<br />
fast changing <strong>IT</strong> paradigm, KIPS<br />
wants to present the future <strong>IT</strong> technology,<br />
convergence technology<br />
vision and strategy for corporations.<br />
Q: what is the result maximization<br />
plan for the remaining period?<br />
A: Through this Conference I<br />
believe that participants will be able<br />
to grasp the present condition about<br />
U-Society-related technology and<br />
With regard to the outlook about digital<br />
convergence and new industry fusion,<br />
Professor Kim epitomized: "The movement<br />
to switch over to a Ubiquitous society<br />
breaks down greatly into u-<strong>Korea</strong>, u-<br />
infrastructure construction, u-technology<br />
development, u-industry nurturing and u-<br />
society foothold preparation."<br />
Regarding the internationalization<br />
efforts for the 2007 <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference on<br />
the other hand, Kim said: "By absorbing<br />
ubiquitous technology-related conferences<br />
at home and abroad into this <strong>IT</strong> 21<br />
Conference, we will make efforts for the<br />
internationalization of this conference."<br />
industry plus utilizing it as material for<br />
policy establishment in the future.<br />
We will do our best so that the<br />
industrial world can be a help to<br />
industry development by allowing<br />
them to utilize this Conference's outcome<br />
and further the theory and the<br />
scene of the industry to coincide with<br />
each other through opinion exchange.<br />
Third, in connection with U-<br />
Society, this year's <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference<br />
will present material collection and<br />
direction about U-society's international<br />
standards, thereby preparing a<br />
ground to secure itself technology in<br />
the U-society field.<br />
Finally, the <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference will be<br />
able to expect effects which contribute<br />
to forging international manpower network<br />
through international exchange.<br />
Q: How is the connection program<br />
and project with another society?<br />
A: In order to hold international<br />
academic rallies (APIS, ICUT, ALP<strong>IT</strong>)<br />
by teaming up with renowned overseas<br />
societies, KIPS is scheduled to<br />
strengthen its bond through MOUs<br />
with famous overseas societies.<br />
For that end, KIPS will beef up<br />
bonds through mutual cooperation<br />
He further explained: "I suppose that<br />
established conferences remain at the<br />
level of the mere introduction of technology<br />
and its outlook in the future whereas<br />
this <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference will play an important<br />
role to pinpoint national growth<br />
engine technology and vision since the<br />
year 2008 through substantial opinion<br />
exchange of an educational-industrial-laboratorial<br />
complex." Thus, we will develop<br />
this <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference into something<br />
which can discharge a pivotal role so that<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> may lead worldwide <strong>IT</strong> industry in<br />
the years to come, he committed.<br />
agreements with the IEEE Computer<br />
Society of the USA and Japan's<br />
IEICE. It will also prepare society<br />
publicity and exchange by inviting<br />
each society's Chairman when holding<br />
international academic rallies.<br />
What's more, KIPS will enlarge<br />
international <strong>IT</strong> exchange by inviting<br />
prominent overseas scholars as editing<br />
committee members, needless to<br />
say distributing KIPS' English journal<br />
to each <strong>IT</strong>-related society abroad.<br />
Q: We understand that this year's<br />
<strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference has invited<br />
heavyweights to its Key note<br />
speech and panel discussion.<br />
A: With Next-generation <strong>IT</strong> growth<br />
engine as its main theme, this year's<br />
<strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference consists of three<br />
tracks -- Enabling Technology, Digital<br />
Convergence, and New Industry<br />
Fusion. Regarding the keynote<br />
speech, former MIC minister Chin<br />
Dae-je will speak about the advent of<br />
the Ubiquitous age and our preparation.<br />
The panel discussion will also<br />
discuss the same theme.<br />
4 2 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 4 3
<strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference 2007<br />
Greater Budget<br />
Backing Educational<br />
Industrial<br />
Collaboration<br />
As the most representative academic<br />
conference at home, this forthcoming<br />
June's <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference<br />
to be hosted by the <strong>Korea</strong> Information<br />
Processing Society (KIPS) promises to be<br />
a successful one thanks to prominent foreign<br />
experts' presentations and a number<br />
of domestic corporations' sponsorship<br />
including <strong>Korea</strong> Telecom (KT), Samsung<br />
SDS, and the <strong>Korea</strong> Digital<br />
Communication Corporation (KDC)..<br />
Such conviction was confirmed<br />
through a previous interview conducted<br />
by the <strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Times</strong> on the occasion of<br />
the <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference with Professor<br />
Yang Hae-sool, PhD of Hoseo University<br />
Graduate School of Ventures who is<br />
responsible for its organizing committee.<br />
Touching upon the fact that success or<br />
failure of this forthcoming <strong>IT</strong> 21<br />
Conference depends on budget to a considerable<br />
degree, he said that he takes charge<br />
of the most important position for carrying<br />
out this <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference successfully.<br />
For this year's <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference to be<br />
held on June 21 to 22 at COEX, Seoul,<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>, approximately 180 million won<br />
<strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference 2006<br />
(US$194,100) will be used to invite distinguished<br />
experts from foreign countries<br />
or to allow it to make progress successfully<br />
including program book dispatches,<br />
conference venue contracts, and homepage<br />
manufacturing according to Yang.<br />
In consideration of the fact that last<br />
year's <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference was a little fragile<br />
and its hailing was few, Yang said: "The<br />
organizing committee attached importance<br />
to inviting <strong>IT</strong> heavyweights including the<br />
MIC Minister, multinational <strong>IT</strong> corporation<br />
chairman and various circles' experts,<br />
selecting next-generation <strong>IT</strong> growth<br />
engines such as enabling Technology,<br />
Digital Convergence, and New Industry<br />
Fusion as the Conference's main theme."<br />
With regard to an opinion that <strong>IT</strong> 21<br />
Conference must attach importance to<br />
educational-industrial collaboration, the<br />
software quality expert pointed out that<br />
because in some academic conferences,<br />
the steam of breath from the academic<br />
world is strong, original purport for facilitating<br />
educational-industrial cooperation<br />
is being transmuted.<br />
In view of the importance of such educational-industrial<br />
collaboration,<br />
he emphasized: "The main theme<br />
for this year's <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference<br />
is Industrial Survival Strategy for<br />
Next Generation Information<br />
Technology." In that context, its<br />
host purpose also is to maximize<br />
corporate competitiveness<br />
improvement through mutual<br />
exchange and opinion interchange<br />
regarding information<br />
technology development direction<br />
along with new information<br />
technology dissemination which<br />
is being deemed as a pivotal part<br />
Professor Yang Hae-sool PhD, Hoseo<br />
University<br />
of industrial survival strategy, he said.<br />
Citing the Graduate School of<br />
Ventures at Hoseo University Seoul<br />
Campus as a good example of an educational-industrial<br />
collaboration, Yang<br />
explained: "Its Graduate School education<br />
of Ventures holds a big significance<br />
nationally or socially in that the Graduate<br />
School reeducates <strong>IT</strong> or venture start-up<br />
executives and confers a good quality<br />
degree for master's courses or doctoral<br />
courses on them, rating their industrial<br />
on-the-scene experience high."<br />
In reference to a desirable development<br />
direction of this <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference<br />
in the future, he has committed himself<br />
to do his best so that the Conference can<br />
develop in a direction which comprises<br />
up to fields <strong>Korea</strong> didn't secure its superiority<br />
in world <strong>IT</strong> market by teaming up<br />
with the industrial world. In connection<br />
with this, he pointed out: "Since most<br />
academic societies' conferences are operated<br />
with a professor-oriented form,<br />
some academic conferences don't accept<br />
the latest <strong>IT</strong> trend and paradigm swiftly."<br />
In closing, he furthermore underlines<br />
the importance of budget backing so that<br />
<strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference may develop more<br />
internationally including inviting globally-renowned<br />
scholars without worrying<br />
any budget shortage.<br />
Data,<br />
Information,<br />
Knowledge<br />
Professor Lee Sung-young PhD of College<br />
of Electronics and Information of<br />
KyungHee University<br />
As the 21st century's society structure<br />
becomes complex, technology<br />
and industry are developing in<br />
a way which attaches importance to each<br />
individual's inclination, individuality, private<br />
life and creativity, meeting diverse<br />
demand of people.<br />
On the occasion of the <strong>IT</strong> 21<br />
Conference Professor Lee Sung-young<br />
PhD of College of Electronics and<br />
Information of KyungHee University<br />
agreed with such a phenomenon in a previous<br />
interview with the <strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Times</strong>.<br />
Touching upon the fact that the<br />
future's <strong>IT</strong> industry also respects individual<br />
human values and personality, he<br />
added: "It is evolving to a direction<br />
which provides not only convenience,<br />
but also pleasure -- culture, arts, entertainment<br />
and design -- needless to say<br />
improving life's quality.<br />
At the same time, he diagnosed: "The<br />
future's <strong>IT</strong> industry paradigm will be<br />
changed from supplier-oriented to consumer-focused<br />
while convergence and<br />
divergence between technology and<br />
industry are accelerated and the so<br />
called Ubiquitous society is predicted to<br />
be settled."<br />
About necessary technology and<br />
industry in order to secure a next-generation<br />
<strong>IT</strong> growth engine, the government<br />
will come to present a national roadmap<br />
and vision, corporations will come to<br />
deal with industry competitiveness security<br />
strategy, and the academic world will<br />
intensively discuss regarding the future<br />
core element technology respectively in<br />
each track, he expressed big expectation.<br />
In this Digital Convergence session,<br />
the <strong>IT</strong> 21 Conference speakers will take a<br />
view of the present condition and outlook<br />
of Communication convergence infrastructure<br />
between all available wired and<br />
wireless communication media which<br />
can deliver data, information and knowledge<br />
as a technology and industry area<br />
that is converged with a digital basis.<br />
Broadcasting communication convergence<br />
too between broadcasting services<br />
and communication infrastructure which<br />
is predicted to exert an enormous influence<br />
on human life in future society is an<br />
important discussion agenda in its Digital<br />
Convergence session.<br />
Lee said that the digital entertainment<br />
field also will be discussed as a content<br />
industry which boosts quality of life in a<br />
digital renaissance era and can make it<br />
rich and give pleasure.<br />
In its New Industry Fusion session,<br />
according to professor Lee, participants<br />
will first discuss robots in which various<br />
technologies and industries are converged<br />
such as mechanics, electronics,<br />
control, software, sensors, brain science<br />
and human intelligence science.<br />
Second, u-Healthcare, which improves<br />
the quality of life and prepares for an<br />
advanced age society, is introduced.<br />
Third, the present status and new emergence<br />
of biotechnology, nanotechnology,<br />
and information technology convergence<br />
industries will be discussed as for staple<br />
industry fields in which convergence with<br />
established traditional industries centering<br />
on <strong>IT</strong> gets accomplished.<br />
Professor Lee concluded that its<br />
Enabling Technology session will come<br />
to deal with important core element technology<br />
which enables digital convergence<br />
and convergence industry.<br />
What's more, web technology and intelligent<br />
information management technology<br />
which can search for vast amounts of<br />
information in an Ubiquitous age and manage<br />
them, imbedded system technology,<br />
computer security technology for individual<br />
private life and security, and a humancomputer<br />
interaction technology will be<br />
discussed in connection with their present<br />
condition and development direction.<br />
4 4 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 4 5
Google Chairman<br />
Cover Story<br />
FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2007<br />
Eric Schmidt Goes After<br />
Windows<br />
by Chun Go-eun<br />
toclair@ittimes.co.kr<br />
The CEO of Google Eric Schmidt<br />
had a press conference at Sheraton<br />
Grand Walkerhill Hotel on May 30,<br />
2007, and stated that: "For Google, <strong>Korea</strong> is<br />
very important." "We are developing the<br />
services that will change peoples' lives both<br />
in America and <strong>Korea</strong>."<br />
Who would be the suitable rival for<br />
Google, the biggest Internet search enterprise?<br />
Could Naver or Daum in <strong>Korea</strong> be its<br />
competitor? Or would Yahoo be its rival?<br />
But the target Google aimed for in the speech<br />
was not any other Internet search engine or<br />
the portals that shared them. It was<br />
Microsoft's flagship operating system,<br />
Windows. That is what Google is going after.<br />
CEO Schmidt stated at the conference:<br />
"We don't compete. We don't look for competitors.<br />
Our only interest is to aim higher and<br />
find a better way to meet our customers'<br />
needs."<br />
Eric Schmidt who visited <strong>Korea</strong> for the<br />
first time to attend Seoul Digital Forum<br />
2007 shared his ambition on this day at the<br />
press conference. He already expected a<br />
world that would be led by the Internet<br />
instead of Personal Computers (PCs).<br />
"When this comes true, personal data or<br />
information will be kept on the Internet<br />
rather than personal computers," Schmidt<br />
continued, "The word processor, graphics<br />
tools, and application software won't have<br />
to be installed on personal computers anymore.<br />
Internet sites will provide the software,<br />
and by using this, personal information<br />
and materials will eventually need to be<br />
kept on Internet sites."<br />
This is actually stunning news because<br />
that will allow one to keep any documents<br />
even when PCs fail. "Before, when the computer<br />
froze or broke down, documents could<br />
not be recovered. You just lost them all.<br />
However, any documents could be accessible<br />
in any personal computer at anytime anywhere,<br />
and Google is at the center of this new<br />
computer life," marked Eric Schmidt.<br />
The CEO also shared his business plan<br />
for <strong>Korea</strong>. He said, "<strong>Korea</strong> is the heart of<br />
information technology and a huge<br />
Laboratory of the digital world." He noted<br />
that a variety of experiments will be done in<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> to pursue the future goals of Google<br />
and he will do this by keeping a close partnership<br />
with <strong>Korea</strong>n enterprises. At the<br />
current point, Google is cooperating with<br />
Samsung Electronics, LG electronics, SK<br />
Telecom, and Daum Communications.<br />
And during his visit to <strong>Korea</strong>, CEO<br />
Schmidt contacted those corporations and<br />
discussed collaboration.<br />
At the press conference, Google showed<br />
numerous Internet application programs.<br />
By typing certain search words, users can<br />
get the full set of related information in text,<br />
pictures and music. This service is called<br />
Universal search. Also, the 7 most wanted<br />
buttons including e-mail, calendar, and tools<br />
were shown on the Google <strong>Korea</strong> web site.<br />
Schmidt added: "Google would like to be as<br />
practical a tool for users as a toothbrush."<br />
According to CEO Schmidt's plan,<br />
Google will be the only path to access the<br />
information. Because of this, some worry<br />
about Googlization, the phenomenon that<br />
Google gets the entire spotlight in the world.<br />
"Portals will be used to make a better<br />
world by the wise people. Since it chases<br />
every single moments of one's life, it will<br />
give the politics hard time." CEO Schmidt<br />
said and added laughter in a room. Lastly on<br />
the issue of restrictions on portals, he stated<br />
that he is willing to follow any procedures<br />
and laws of the government. Shumidit concluded,<br />
"Google will work with the government<br />
to solve any problems together for the<br />
high quality of Internet culture."<br />
Overview<br />
Robotics is a topic that strikes the<br />
imagination of humanity worldwide.<br />
Even in the oldest legends of<br />
Greek and Hebrew myth, robots have<br />
existed, if by other names. Talos of Greek<br />
myth was an artificial man made of bronze<br />
that guarded the island of Crete and threw<br />
rocks at any approaching ships. In the legend<br />
of Jason and the Argonauts, Talos was<br />
defeated by removing a nail, one of his<br />
parts. Ancient Hebrew myths also speak<br />
of golems, artificially created man-shaped<br />
automations created by holy men using<br />
secrets from God. They worked perfectly<br />
and untiringly, but could not speak. Norse<br />
legends also refer to an artificial person, a<br />
clay giant named Mistcalf, which<br />
Hrungnir built in order to fight the god of<br />
thunder, Thor. Unfortunately the clay<br />
giant was not very useful in a fight.<br />
Today, robots are much more than legends,<br />
but the technology is still in its infancy.<br />
Whereas simple computer technology<br />
is currently a mature industry with discrete<br />
and steady evolution in design and functionality,<br />
robotics has yet to find its niche.<br />
But many people believe that the time of<br />
the robot will come soon. And there are<br />
quite a few who believe that it will come first<br />
here in <strong>Korea</strong>. Robot technology is advancing<br />
on many fronts here, but one of the most<br />
interesting is involved in the Federation of<br />
International Robot-soccer Association.<br />
4 6 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 4 7
Cover Story / Robot Industry<br />
Robots, an Expert's View<br />
In order for <strong>Korea</strong>'s robot industry to be<br />
activated, the market demand for robots<br />
must expand internationally. Currently,<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> is able to facilitate and develop its<br />
demand in international technological markets.<br />
Mr. Shin Kyung-Churl, PhD and<br />
President of Yujin Robot and the chairman<br />
of the <strong>Korea</strong> Association of Robotics<br />
(KAR), revealed these opinions in his<br />
exclusive interview with <strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Times</strong>.<br />
"Robot products, whose performance<br />
was verified in <strong>Korea</strong>," the robot industry<br />
veteran said, "hold a high possibility to be<br />
successful in overseas markets."<br />
Touching upon the fact that <strong>Korea</strong>'s<br />
robotics industry is well equipped for global<br />
competition, Shin emphasized that it is most<br />
important to be strong in the domestic market.<br />
By sustaining the demand in the domestic<br />
market, in one or two years, <strong>Korea</strong>n robot<br />
manufacturers will be well established and<br />
prospering in overseas markets as well.<br />
Therefore, remaining localized within<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> is not the answer to a prosperous and<br />
growing robotics technology sector. The<br />
question is, then, where is <strong>Korea</strong>'s robot<br />
technological sector currently standing in<br />
relation to global competitiveness in the<br />
technological market?<br />
For the last six years, businesses within<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> have been developing and building<br />
upon their robotics technology. Also, within<br />
the last four years, the <strong>Korea</strong>n government has<br />
designated the robotics technological industry<br />
as one of the most important economic growth<br />
Yujin Robot's iClebo Free<br />
Yujin Robot’s iClebo Free<br />
sectors within the country. Shin asserts that,<br />
from these historical facts, <strong>Korea</strong>'s robotics<br />
technological sector has been and will be producing<br />
fine technological products.<br />
Shin insists that the ultimate goal for<br />
robot technology is to create and produce a<br />
robot that can perfectly communicate with<br />
human beings, enabling it to fulfill every<br />
need that a human society could desire.<br />
"For instance," Shin states, "currently a<br />
cleaning robot, an educational robot, a network<br />
robot, or a guard robot has arrived at<br />
the stage where they can explain functions<br />
even though these robots have not reached<br />
their maximum commercialization potential."<br />
He asserts, though, that the demand<br />
for these robots will increase on the international<br />
market as the government continues<br />
to provide help to the robot businesses.<br />
These futuristic robots can be used in<br />
such programs as u-City and u-Home projects<br />
by utilizing and developing these<br />
robots, the development and expansion of<br />
these buzzed-about programs will largely<br />
improve. This dream, though, can only turn<br />
into reality through active dialogue between<br />
many technological sectors. The construction<br />
field, home network field, telecommunication<br />
field, and robot creation field must<br />
communicate to construct a successful commercialization<br />
model.<br />
In robot business circles' task to develop<br />
the robotics industry even more, the president<br />
said: "In the case of reconstructing the robot,<br />
the first reformation must be attended to well.<br />
Second, functions such as the inhalation and<br />
navigation must be recreated carefully to produce<br />
an extremely effective robot."<br />
Shin, however, mentioned a price problem<br />
that would arise if the new robot<br />
receives a popular response from the public<br />
market. After the new robot's activation,<br />
the demand for the robot will actually<br />
decrease its market price. "In particular," he<br />
said, "providing a robot market comes to<br />
show its market scale to some degree, the<br />
robot manufacturer company's commercialization<br />
plan will move with a pre-circulation<br />
structure<br />
as normally<br />
done and, therefore,<br />
alter its final circulation price."<br />
Regarding the robot construction fields<br />
and industries that <strong>Korea</strong> already controls in<br />
other countries, Shin flatly stated: "It is too<br />
early to say anything about the effect that<br />
may come from this change in the robot<br />
industry." To take a lead globally, he<br />
asserted that it is as important to be recognized<br />
at home with the commercializing of<br />
home products and abroad.<br />
The foil in Shin's plan is that countries<br />
that have profited for the last few decades<br />
from their robotic industrial sectors, such as<br />
Japan, USA, and Europe, are currently suffering<br />
difficulties in the selling of their<br />
robots. Shin admits to this problematic<br />
globally growing trend and responds by<br />
stating: "Although the technological development<br />
of robots is necessary, it is far more<br />
important to construct a social system that<br />
supports the use of these robots. For example,<br />
focusing on building a demand for<br />
these robots in the educational sector of<br />
human society will guarantee their sustainability<br />
as a commercial product."<br />
Robots together tomorrow<br />
With regard to the upcoming Robot<br />
World 2007 forum to be held under the title<br />
ROBOT, Together & Tomorrow from<br />
October 18th to 21st in COEX Mall, he<br />
expressed that he possesses big expectations<br />
for the conference. Shin states that the<br />
exhibition itself should be much larger than<br />
previous conference exhibitions such as the<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> Robot Conference, the International<br />
Robot Conference and the International<br />
Robot Industry Show.<br />
Prior to the inauguration of Robot World<br />
2007, Shin is scheduled to present a speech<br />
entitled Robots and Digital Convergence at<br />
the <strong>IT</strong> policy forum organized by SEK, the<br />
Solution and <strong>Contents</strong> Exhibition of <strong>Korea</strong>,<br />
Buyers discuss at the Hometech Exhibition in Dubai in May<br />
in June of this year. His speech will discuss using robots as a<br />
tool for future digital technology to be grafted on. He will<br />
include in this speech the need for robots not to be solely commercially<br />
focused on the needs of the <strong>Korea</strong>n market, but also<br />
catering to the needs of the global sphere. Robots of the future<br />
must meet the diverse needs of a people from many regions of<br />
the world.<br />
Regarding to the technological sectors ability to create<br />
and activate such ideal robots, Shin ensured that <strong>Korea</strong>'s<br />
robotic industry continues to quickly advance. For example,<br />
the Yujin Robotics Company has sold over one thousand<br />
cleaning robots this year. In Dubai alone, the company is<br />
expected to sell at least seven thousand cleaning robots. In<br />
addition, the iClebo Free cleaning robot has displayed perfect<br />
performance in helping maintain a region that is known for<br />
its dirt coming from the localities' immense deserts. For<br />
more information on these robots, please check the company's<br />
website at www.yujinrobot.com.<br />
Robot World 2007 will be held over four<br />
days from October 18th through 21th, 2007 at<br />
COEX, Seoul, <strong>Korea</strong>. It is expected to live up<br />
to its catchphrase, which is The 2nd Wonder<br />
Next to Semiconductors, Robots Together<br />
Tomorrow. Organizers plan a robot festival in<br />
which not only the academic world related to<br />
the robotics industry, the industrial world, and<br />
governmental associated institutions, but also<br />
all people who love robot at home and abroad<br />
can participate.<br />
Hosted under the auspices of the Ministry<br />
of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE)<br />
and supervised by a total of 9 robot-associated<br />
institutions including the <strong>Korea</strong> Association of<br />
Robotics, the largest scale robotics exhibition<br />
and convention Robot World 2007 will serve<br />
Interview<br />
The following are excerpts from an interview with Shin Kyung-chul, Ph.D.<br />
ENC and President of Yujin Robot -- Ed.<br />
Q: What is the direction in which <strong>Korea</strong>'s robotic industry is working?<br />
A: The direction of our nation's robotics technology is towards<br />
enabling all users to create and/or produce any item they desire<br />
through simply communicating with the robots. In that context, robot<br />
have yet to achieve the ability to be commercialized both at home and<br />
abroad; however, provided that the current developing robot's commercialization<br />
will be successful, these styles of robots will make a strong<br />
entrance into the international market.<br />
Q: Then, can we see that robot is actually utilized as a finished<br />
product? It is said that Yujin Robot Company's iCLEBO has<br />
already crossed a developmental breaking point and is only currently<br />
being improved on for market sale.<br />
A: The cleaning robot is currently being sold both online and offline.<br />
Entertainment and education robots are also entering the sales market.<br />
In addition, the network home robot and guidance airport and station<br />
robot are in pilot development. Once these robots finish their piloting<br />
stage, they can easily be successfully sold on the robotics market.<br />
Q: What do you think about the task for successfully advertising<br />
and producing international demand for these robots?<br />
A: It is very important to expand past the domestic market and enter<br />
the international market. At the same time, the government's effort to<br />
secure internal robot market provides commercial support. Therefore, it<br />
is important that a demand for these robots is forged unto the international<br />
market while also respecting the <strong>Korea</strong>n government's internal economic-security<br />
desires.<br />
One More Step to Number One<br />
as a ground for publicity to acquaint the world<br />
with <strong>Korea</strong>'s robot industry. At the same time<br />
it will create substantial business between participating<br />
companies and buyers.<br />
MOCIE officials said that the government,<br />
the academic world, industrial circles<br />
and robot-related persons are uniting their<br />
efforts in order to secure an initiative of the<br />
world robot market through preemptive market<br />
creation of the robotics industry.<br />
In that respect, they expected: "This year's<br />
Robot World would serve as an important<br />
momentum to let the nation know the government's<br />
will toward a robot power while allowing<br />
the nation to change their awareness about<br />
robot as a companion for the future society."<br />
The Robot World 2007 will be composed<br />
of the International Robot Industry Show<br />
(iRIS), International Robot Contest (IRC), and<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> Robot Conference (KRC), according to<br />
the Secretariat of the Robot World 2007.<br />
Through diverse incidental events such as<br />
new product launching show which can introduce<br />
and publicize company's new products<br />
at home and abroad, robot theme pavilion<br />
which will embody the encounter of robots<br />
and movies, robots and arts, between robots<br />
and the future and business plaza which provides<br />
business' opportunity between participating<br />
companies and buyers, Secretariat<br />
officials emphasize that this upcoming<br />
October we can share the future with robots<br />
while allowing us to recognize the coming<br />
robotics world.<br />
4 8 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 4 9
Cover Story / Robot World 2007<br />
One Robot in Every Household Samsung Techwin --<br />
MOCIE gunning for the future sooner<br />
Director Sim Hag-bong, Robot Industry<br />
Division, Future Growth Industries Office,<br />
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s robot policy to preoccupy<br />
the world market converts from<br />
an established Catch-up strategy<br />
to a Leading strategy. The Ministry of<br />
Commerce, Industry and Energy<br />
(MOCIE) decided to make the One<br />
Household One Robot Era earlier from<br />
initially the year 2020 to the year 2015.<br />
Concerning robot industry's policy<br />
direction, director Sim Hag-bong, Robot<br />
Industry Division, Future Growth<br />
Industries Office, Ministry of<br />
Commerce, Industry and Energy<br />
stressed: "A preemptive market creation<br />
will decide robot leading countries,"<br />
adding that to date all industry strategies<br />
have been catch-up strategies for <strong>Korea</strong><br />
behind the United States of America and<br />
Japan. In that regard, the robot industry<br />
is the only field <strong>Korea</strong> can do well, he<br />
said. However, diverse integration in the<br />
case of robotics is necessary because it is<br />
a representative convergence industry.<br />
Moreover, due to the fact that robotics is<br />
a field whose spontaneous industry<br />
development is difficult, now is the time<br />
when its initiative is necessary through a<br />
feint operation of national-initiative<br />
selection and concentration. What's<br />
more, <strong>Korea</strong>'s robot industry R&D performance<br />
holds a structure which is difficult<br />
to be commercialized due to the<br />
shortage of research accumulation, Sim<br />
pointed out. In camparison with<br />
advanced robotics countries, <strong>Korea</strong>'s<br />
robot technology level remains at 70%.<br />
The number of robotics-related patents is<br />
also only a quarter of other countries'<br />
patents. Hence, continuous R&D<br />
enlargement and research manpower<br />
expansion are needed, he said.<br />
According to the Ministry's robot industry<br />
development strategy to nurture robot<br />
industry as the leading part of the second<br />
semiconductor myth creation, MOCIE is<br />
operating the Robot Industry Policy<br />
Forum with the view of drawing policy<br />
plans by fields of the purpose of new<br />
market creation.<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n-model Robot Land to<br />
spark robot demand<br />
In order to create large-sized robot<br />
demand, Sim explained: "First of all, the<br />
Ministry is considering introducing a<br />
robot R&D securities issuance system so<br />
that the market can haul technology." He<br />
added that a share purchaser can be robot<br />
R&D investor and tentative robot consumer<br />
in the future.<br />
Regarding the importance of robot<br />
funds, the robot expert director said: "It<br />
is necessary to introduce robot funds<br />
with the goal of solving investment and<br />
demand simultaneously by means of the<br />
general public's investment participation<br />
system." By allowing a prospective<br />
robot buyer to participate through robot<br />
fund connections, this robot fund can be<br />
a robot market's breakthrough by means<br />
of market-participation model R&D<br />
embodiment, he emphasized.<br />
For the sake of securing profit, this<br />
fund will be operated in investing in<br />
another robot company or large-sized<br />
commercialization for individual robot<br />
for example, according to Sim. By raising<br />
a subscription fund worth 100 billion<br />
won (US$108 million) at the latter half of<br />
the year from governments, corporations,<br />
and private investors, the MOCIE plans<br />
to develop innovative robot products<br />
befitting customer needs or to secure the<br />
future's potential buyers.<br />
Second, the MOCIE is considering<br />
forging Robot Land for the purpose of<br />
initiating the world robot market, according<br />
to Sim. To grow as a global mirror of<br />
world robot industry in the 21st century,<br />
the director underlined: "It is urgent for<br />
us to establish <strong>Korea</strong>'s robotics industry<br />
standing through this Robot Land."<br />
Economic ripple effects when forging<br />
Robot Land is expected to reach to 577.3<br />
billion won (US$621 million) and<br />
employ 6,894 persons. If two million<br />
visitors come to this Robot Land annually,<br />
Sim presumed that approximately<br />
74.3 billion won (US$79.9 million)<br />
turnover will be generated including a<br />
128.9 billion won production induction<br />
effect (US$140 million) and employment<br />
of 2,233 persons.<br />
About the background of such Robot<br />
Land's formation plan, he explained: "In<br />
the case of foreign countries such as the<br />
USA's Kennedy Space Center or Japan's<br />
Disney Land, those countries boost the<br />
general public's understanding about cutting-edge<br />
industry and offer new market<br />
demand through such facilities." He further<br />
said that this Robot Land project is<br />
part of pilot projects aiming to propagate<br />
robots in the hope of a large scale<br />
demand for intelligent robots and artificial<br />
market creation.<br />
As a result of a survey that was<br />
enforced 16 nationwide cities or<br />
provinces as its object at the beginning of<br />
this year, 52.4% of respondents<br />
expressed a favorable impression about<br />
Robot Land, while 64.3% showed their<br />
intention to visit it, Sim said. He commented:<br />
"<strong>Korea</strong>n-model robot theme<br />
An observation warning robot,<br />
developed with domestic technology<br />
park Robot Land will serve as a ground for close information<br />
exchange between consumer, developer and producer<br />
besides serving as the future-oriented complex culture<br />
space."<br />
Urgent robot ethics charter<br />
As the so-called robot culture society is anticipated with<br />
one household one robot era's advent as an impetus by the<br />
upcoming 2020, Sim on the other hand points out that the<br />
importance of a robot ethics charter is raised in earnest.<br />
Touching upon the fact that for example, a sex robot can<br />
destroy human order, he notes that national consensus is<br />
necessary about robot roles and its function in terms of ethical<br />
level.<br />
In that context, it is necessary to proclaim a robot ethics<br />
charter and adapt it so that on one hand, robot demand can<br />
be created through an ethical confidence boost, he maintained.<br />
Such robot ethics charter comes to prepare legal and<br />
institutional gadgets to protect human beings from robots,<br />
according to Sim. In regard to <strong>Korea</strong>'s robotics industry<br />
roadmap in the future, he has committed himself to providing<br />
special manpower of 10,000 persons by 2011 besides<br />
accomplishing the third position in terms of international<br />
competitiveness in robot personal resources field by 2013.<br />
So he said that MOCIE aims to be ranked as global country<br />
in the field of robotics for service by the year 2015.<br />
From Manned<br />
Security to<br />
Unmanned Security<br />
Samsung Techwin general manager Ryu<br />
Myung-ho responsible for its<br />
observation warning robot development<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s Samsung<br />
Techwin (www.samsungtechwin.co.kr)<br />
is<br />
scheduled to market an<br />
observation warning<br />
robot developed in cooperation<br />
with another several<br />
robot-specialized<br />
small and medium-sized<br />
companies in <strong>Korea</strong> from<br />
the end of the year 2008.<br />
This intelligent-model<br />
observation warning<br />
robot, displayed at the<br />
2006 Robot World last<br />
year, can recognize an<br />
object even in a dark circumstance<br />
at night with a<br />
color moving image.<br />
Hence, this warning robot<br />
is assessed to be a better<br />
technology than an observation<br />
robot which is<br />
developed in Israel. Samsung Techwin officials responsible for<br />
this robot's development said: "The development of this intelligence-model<br />
observation warning robot was completed by<br />
teaming up with its special laboratory, which is in charge of the<br />
defense industry field's product development within Samsung<br />
Techwin." Regarding the company's momentum that came to<br />
develop robot, they explained: "Samsung Techwin basically<br />
possesses technologies which are necessary for robot development<br />
through defense industry gadgets, security, optics and<br />
imaging vision field projects. So we judge that robot market's<br />
business outlook is high since Security market is changing from<br />
manned Security to unmanned Security."<br />
This is the first time that Samsung Techwin developed robots,<br />
but they regard the concept of robot as a project of unmanned<br />
system which don't need a person, not a simple unit product,<br />
Samsung Techwin officials assert. Therefore, Samsung<br />
Techwin aims to enable unmanned observation warning by<br />
bundling a lot of robots as system, not one robot, they said.<br />
5 0 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 5 1
Cover Story / FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2007<br />
From One Technical<br />
Challenge to<br />
Another<br />
by Matthew Weigand<br />
matthew@ittimes.co.kr<br />
If we can put<br />
a more high-powered<br />
CPU into this<br />
small robot, then we<br />
can expect such a<br />
nice I, Robot robot.<br />
But now, no.<br />
Professor Kim Jong-hwan, president of FIRA and director of<br />
Intelligent Robot Research Center at KAIST<br />
HSR-VII, the latest of KAIST's humanoid robots, holds the finger of Choi Jeong-hoo, a<br />
student in Seoul who dreams of studying robotics at KAIST in the future<br />
Professor Kim Jong-hwan, president<br />
of FIRA and director of<br />
Intelligent Robot Research<br />
Center at KAIST, is not a native<br />
speaker of English, reminisced about<br />
his ten years as the father of robot soccer.<br />
"I started the MiroSot game in<br />
1995," he said, "and at that time it was<br />
a 3 versus 3 game. It was more than<br />
ten years ago, so at that time integration<br />
of the motor control system, computer<br />
vision technology, wireless communication,<br />
and multi-agent cooperation<br />
system was very difficult." The<br />
Professor said that the game has<br />
evolved quite a lot in the past years, so<br />
that now full integration of many complex<br />
systems allows twenty-two robots<br />
to play full 11 on 11 games.<br />
Lateral expansion<br />
The robot soccer tournament has also<br />
expanded far beyond that singular first idea<br />
of 3 on 3. There are now seven different<br />
categories in which organizations can compete.<br />
The first, and oldest, is the MiroSot,<br />
which refers to micro robot soccer tournaments.<br />
There is also RoboSot for larger<br />
robots and NaroSot for smaller sized robots.<br />
SimuroSot is a competition for simulated<br />
software soccer games without actual<br />
robots at all. KhepraSot is a 1 on 1 match<br />
between self-contained autonomous robot<br />
models. AndroSot is a competition<br />
between robots that are controlled by people.<br />
The HuroCup is, in theory, a competition<br />
between walking, autonomous robots<br />
that kick a soccer ball and play exactly like<br />
regular human players.<br />
Because it is there<br />
The professor spoke about the<br />
HuroCup by saying: "For example,<br />
humanoid robot soccer games,<br />
HiroSot, so people can easily imagine<br />
robots can easily run and jump and [hit<br />
with their] head. But the technology is<br />
still challenging, quite difficult to do<br />
such a nice performance. So still we<br />
are waiting for more technology to<br />
have a nice game." The goal, for<br />
HiroSot of course is to have an 11<br />
robot team on each side, but for now<br />
the competition is limited to single<br />
robot feats of athletics such as a penalty<br />
kick, a robotic marathon and a<br />
weight lifting competition.<br />
Since the HuroCup is the newest<br />
competition, Kim said that there are<br />
also some funding problems. Building<br />
a humanoid style robot can get expensive.<br />
"Some rich labs can build these<br />
robots quite comfortably, but most<br />
labs around the world may not have<br />
enough funds to build humanoid<br />
robots," the professor explained. He<br />
further went on to say that soccercapable<br />
robots require a kind of technology<br />
that is simply beyond current<br />
commercial products. He pointed to<br />
Honda and Sony, Japanese companies<br />
who are producing bipedal robots for<br />
commercial entertainment use, and<br />
noted that while they are interesting<br />
from a commercial standpoint they<br />
cannot really do something as athletic<br />
as kick a ball.<br />
"So I may say that we started this<br />
HuroCup," Professor Kim continued,<br />
"and as I mentioned we plan to follow<br />
the same strategy as the MiroSot." He<br />
referred to the ten year history of the<br />
small robot soccer tournament, and<br />
reminded that while in the beginning<br />
the matches of 3 on 3 robots were a<br />
striking technical achievement, now<br />
full 11 on 11 tournaments are routine.<br />
When asked if it was better in the<br />
long run for robots to play soccer in<br />
humanoid form or a more conventional<br />
robotic form with wheels, the professor<br />
mentioned that the HuroSot was<br />
more technically challenging from a<br />
research point of view. "Even just to<br />
find the way to the ball and kick it<br />
towards the goal is quite difficult," he<br />
explained. "This is much more difficult<br />
than other types."<br />
Familiarity breeds ease<br />
After speaking about the difficulties<br />
of humanoid robots, the professor was<br />
asked which of the competitions was<br />
the easiest from a technical standpoint.<br />
He responded to this by saying: "Well<br />
the simulations games are pretty easy.<br />
Also we started with MiroSot so it is<br />
the easiest." The technologies for the<br />
smaller, box robots with wheels are the<br />
most advanced, and the rules for their<br />
competition is the most mature. "For<br />
the people who have financial restrictions<br />
on developing hardware robot<br />
systems, the SimuroSot is open to<br />
everybody. The same system is in<br />
place, however the controlling strategies<br />
should be developed by participants.<br />
So this one,<br />
somehow, is the<br />
easiest one compared<br />
to other categories,<br />
because<br />
they only have to<br />
build their own<br />
software."<br />
T echnical<br />
explanation<br />
Kim explained<br />
the technical rules<br />
of the game in great detail. The robots<br />
are usually controlled by a central computer<br />
which broadcasts commands to<br />
each robot wirelessly. While it is<br />
allowed in the rules for the robots to<br />
have their own sensors, normally feedback<br />
to the central computer that controls<br />
the robots is done from an overhead<br />
camera that is connected directly<br />
to the team's computer. "The information<br />
from the overhead vision camera is<br />
forwarded to the main PC, here," the<br />
professor explained while pointed to a<br />
diagram that he drew, "so while the<br />
game is played by the robots, the game<br />
is in essence a competition between this<br />
computer and this computer."<br />
Kim was asked about the outcome of the<br />
games in the case that same robots and the<br />
same computer programs were run multiple<br />
times. "Even though the same robots and the<br />
same strategies are used, the outcome would<br />
not always be the same because of the<br />
Butterfly effect." However, he said that the<br />
computer programs and the robots were not<br />
yet able to develop their own strategies.<br />
Changing strategies would require the developers<br />
of the computer program would have<br />
to call a time out and change strategy manually.<br />
"Maybe in twenty years we can expect<br />
those excellent learning systems, self-evolving<br />
systems," he admitted.<br />
He said that the main roles of the<br />
robots in his tournament are controlled<br />
by the PC, but the robots themselves<br />
only get direction and velocity commands<br />
from the PC, then the robots<br />
themselves carry out the goal of moving<br />
to the location that the PC commanded<br />
them. So the robots have a<br />
small bit of autonomy now, but not<br />
complete autonomy. "It depends on<br />
the architecture of organizing the system,"<br />
he explained, "You can give all<br />
the intelligence into here [the PC], or<br />
some of the intelligence can be put<br />
into here [the robot]."<br />
Waxing philosophical<br />
Professor Kim also spoke about the<br />
future of robotics by referring to popular<br />
culture. "You might know the<br />
movie I, Robot -- NS5. This robot is<br />
quite smart, it has its own intelligence,<br />
it can make its own decisions, it has its<br />
own emotions and motivations.<br />
Currently this robot is somehow a<br />
small mechanical or mechatronic system.<br />
If we can put a more high-powered<br />
CPU into this small robot, then<br />
we can expect such a nice I, Robot<br />
robot. But now, no."<br />
5 2 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 5 3
Cover Story / FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2007<br />
1) IZI Robot president Wayne T. Cho<br />
2) IZI Robot's Soccer Robot<br />
3) IZI Robot's ER-6 open<br />
4) IZI Robot's netoy<br />
5) IZI Robot's CUBO<br />
Robotics in Sports, Education<br />
About Robot-Soccer<br />
High prospects for <strong>Korea</strong>n robotics for<br />
the next 20 years<br />
For IZI Robotics, a <strong>Korea</strong>n robotics<br />
company that provides 90% of the<br />
world's soccer-playing robots, the 12th<br />
FIRA RoboWorld Cup USA 2007 is<br />
reckoned to be a good opportunity to<br />
acquaint world buyers and visitors with<br />
its creative technology and products.<br />
According to Wayne T. Cho, president<br />
of IZI Robotics, the RoboWorld<br />
Cup, which is to be held on June 14-17,<br />
holds a very significant meaning as it can<br />
introduce robot soccer, a core <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
technology, to the United States.<br />
New opportunities overseas<br />
"Technologically," Cho explained,<br />
"Japan is still ahead of <strong>Korea</strong> as it has a<br />
long history of robot development.<br />
However, <strong>Korea</strong>n robots are intelligent<br />
robots that can be utilized for everyday<br />
use with the converged networking and<br />
advanced <strong>IT</strong> technology in which <strong>Korea</strong><br />
takes pride."<br />
Noting that robots are in a word<br />
evolved digital terminals, Cho forecasted<br />
that the robot market will grow to surpass<br />
the size of the automobile market by<br />
2020. "Existing digital terminals such as<br />
PCs, MP3 players, and cellular phones<br />
don't have any mobility function, whereas<br />
robots are focused on mobility.<br />
Besides, the digital market can be seen as<br />
the robots market where established terminals<br />
are evolving to become robots,"<br />
Cho pointed out.<br />
Against such background, the expert<br />
turned president believes the future of<br />
robotics is bright in the field of education,<br />
too. "We expect roughly 20~30%<br />
of our sales goal of 10 billion won<br />
[US$10.8 million] for this year will be<br />
attained from the export of educational<br />
robots," said the president, adding that<br />
the company has signed a sales contract<br />
with a German firm in February this year<br />
for the export of 30,000 educational<br />
robots.<br />
"The creation of new markets for our<br />
robots is somewhat difficult," Cho<br />
acknowledged. "Even so," he said, "I am<br />
optimistic that the future will be bright as<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s standing among the high-tech<br />
countries, such as Japan, the US and<br />
some other European countries that produce<br />
soccer robots, ranks high and we<br />
are proud to have contributed to this."<br />
In the meantime, IZI Robotics is en<br />
route to be listed on the KOSDAQ market<br />
through a merger with an auto parts<br />
supplier next month. Through the listing,<br />
Cho anticipates IZI Robotics would be<br />
placed on a favorable position to secure<br />
stable funds for the production, circulation,<br />
and marketing of intelligent robots,<br />
thereby boosting the company's value.<br />
For a robotics company that has taken<br />
part in the US RoboBusiness earlier this<br />
year in Boston, IZI Robotics has high<br />
hopes of paving a new market in the US<br />
and winning substantial business contracts<br />
to attain its sales target of US$10.8<br />
million.<br />
Intelligent robots<br />
IZI Robotics supplies 90% of the soccer<br />
robot demand across Asia, Europe,<br />
Central and South America, and<br />
Australia.<br />
The VICTO, IZI Robotics' soccer<br />
robot, uses icons on the screen instead of<br />
C++ programming. This allows even<br />
elementary school children to employ<br />
some strategies or tactics based on a<br />
Graphical User Interface (GUI) and play<br />
an actual game with robots.<br />
Another soccer robot, the YSR-A, is<br />
the one that has been developed for university<br />
student tournaments, and this<br />
item has been used both domestically and<br />
abroad in over 20 countries. Its superiority<br />
has been also already recognized during<br />
the FIRA International World Cup.<br />
IZI Robotics' ER-6, an educational<br />
robot for elementary, middle and high<br />
school students, is receiving a considerable<br />
number of orders from Europe,<br />
according to Cho.<br />
ER-6 has features such as a variety of<br />
input/output modules and software, easy<br />
assembly, practical hardware tested by the<br />
IZI Lab program, and an easily understood<br />
GUI programming option for robot<br />
control. The robot can perform such basic<br />
functions as tracing lines, playing soccer,<br />
participating in a sumo game and music<br />
composition. It is operated with a remote<br />
control.<br />
In the latter half of the year, IZI<br />
Robotics is scheduled to launch the networked<br />
emotional robot Netoy in collaboration<br />
with KT. Netoy is said to be capable<br />
of making emotional expressions with<br />
its arms and LED readouts, providing<br />
information about weather and news and<br />
entertainment functions of streaming<br />
mp3s, private secretary, voice messenger,<br />
alarm clock, and other miscellaneous<br />
functions such as those of a clock and a<br />
nightlight.<br />
Robot soccer, a high-tech scientific<br />
sport, was developed as a<br />
multi purpose testing ground for<br />
learning and applying high tech<br />
in the field of image analysis,<br />
artificial intelligence, sensors,<br />
communication, electronic precision<br />
control, dive motors, and<br />
software and hardware. Since<br />
then, the sport has enjoyed a<br />
steady growth as more and more<br />
young scientists participate.<br />
There are three robot soccer<br />
events: MiroSot, NaroSot and<br />
RoboSot. Presently MiroSot,<br />
which constitutes a main part of<br />
the sport, is played in a small<br />
150cm x 130cm field with a team<br />
of three micro robots measuring<br />
less than 7.5cm in length, width<br />
or height. There are two teams<br />
playing the soccer in a similar<br />
manner as the real field sport.<br />
Points are earned for placing a<br />
golf ball into the other team's<br />
goal. The game is played not by<br />
humans operating remote controls<br />
but by computers making<br />
intelligent decisions.<br />
The first international robot<br />
soccer world cup, which can be<br />
referred to as the formal event<br />
for robot soccer, was held at<br />
KAIST in November of 1996, and<br />
the second was played in June<br />
of 1997 at the same venue.<br />
Only after three years since<br />
the birth of robot soccer on June<br />
5th 1997, the Federation of<br />
International Robot-soccer<br />
Association (FIRA), an international<br />
robot soccer federation,<br />
was founded with the participation<br />
of 34 countries. After the<br />
official inauguration of FIRA, all<br />
international matches were<br />
called the FIRA Robot World<br />
Cup. The intelligence sport was<br />
held in France in 1998 and in<br />
Brazil in 1999. In both years,<br />
the <strong>Korea</strong>n team won the championship<br />
and received the media<br />
spotlight.<br />
The enthusiasm for the FIRA<br />
international world cup competition<br />
grows day by day. Australia<br />
hosted the 2000 championship<br />
while China hosted one in<br />
August of 2001, and <strong>Korea</strong> in<br />
2002 along with the FIFA World<br />
Cup. Robot soccer is reputed to<br />
have made conspicuous footprints<br />
in the world of scientific<br />
sporting.<br />
5 4 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 5 5
Cover Story<br />
Android Soccer Success<br />
Pursing the next level<br />
By pursuing<br />
an assembly<br />
model<br />
robot system rather<br />
than a finished robot,<br />
MINI ROBOT, a<br />
specialized company<br />
for educational<br />
robots in<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>, specializes in multi articulation<br />
model robot systems. A frontrunner in<br />
the <strong>Korea</strong>'s robot industry, the company<br />
has struck its root as a representative<br />
company in the articulation-model<br />
entertainment robot field and robot field<br />
for education, president Chung Sangbong,<br />
MINI ROBOT said in a previous<br />
interview.<br />
First of all in relation to the company's<br />
goal, Chung emphasized: "It is to<br />
serve as a robot company which provides<br />
users including the younger generation<br />
with most interesting and beneficial<br />
robots," attaching importance to<br />
humanoid's popularization.<br />
/ FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2007<br />
So MINI ROBOT is investing much<br />
time and expense in developing systems<br />
which study robots interestingly and<br />
easily, according to Chung.<br />
Keeping an eye on the possibility of<br />
humanoid game robot and educational<br />
robot markets, the company has developed<br />
a low price humanoid after one<br />
year of efforts since it started low pricemodel<br />
humanoid robot project, called<br />
ROBONOVA.<br />
Edutainment robot ROBONOVA<br />
allows in a word users to enjoy robots<br />
while learning.<br />
ROBONOVA's main feature is that it<br />
is easy to make. It is possible to assemble<br />
with just one cross driver so that<br />
even a beginner facing robot for the first<br />
time, can easily assemble. Its design<br />
structure, developed through long<br />
research, allows even a beginner to be<br />
able to assemble easily as if he figures<br />
out block or puzzle, Chung said.<br />
Second, the ROBONOVA robot system<br />
is convenient to use. By providing<br />
two kinds programs plus the latest MR-<br />
C3024 controller it offers beginners or<br />
experts who want diverse robot manufacturing<br />
with robot motion program<br />
environment easily.<br />
OEM outlet abroad<br />
In the light of the fact that this forthcoming<br />
FIRA RoboWorld Cup USA's<br />
particular emphasis will be given to<br />
applications and developments in the<br />
area of entertainment, education, service<br />
and personal robots, <strong>Korea</strong>'s MINI<br />
ROBOT holds many elements which<br />
deserve attention from world buyers and<br />
visitors including robot experts.<br />
Before everything else, the company's<br />
business scope includes a multi<br />
articulation model robot system development<br />
for home, an assistance robot<br />
system development for an old and feeble<br />
people and handicapped people, a<br />
robot system's development and popularization<br />
for education, robot product<br />
development for exhibition, and a controller<br />
system development for industry.<br />
However, Chung noted: "Ahead of a<br />
corporation's profit, the upcoming FIRA<br />
RoboWorld Cup 2007 USA will serve as<br />
a good opportunity to acquaint the world<br />
with <strong>Korea</strong>'s standing in the robotics<br />
industry including soccer robots."<br />
With regard to MINI ROBOT's plan<br />
to give a good example about humanoid<br />
soccer in this forthcoming FIRA<br />
RoboWorld Cup 2007 USA, Chung<br />
said: "By applying humanoid soccer<br />
robots the company would like to confirm<br />
a possibility of humanoid soccer<br />
there."<br />
Already, it is said that MINI ROBO side has<br />
confirmed that there are sufficiently a possibility<br />
in the process of operating humanoid soccer<br />
games in the China Nationwide Robot Rally or the<br />
Incheon Robot Great Rally the company has provided<br />
humanoid sets, according to Chung.<br />
The most important thing to propagate soccer<br />
robot is to lower soccer robot's price, he points<br />
out, adding that in that respect, MINI ROBO<br />
aims to down humanoid's price under the 1 million<br />
won mark (US$1,080).<br />
The robot-veteran president epitomized the<br />
significance of soccer robots by saying: "The<br />
significance of soccer robot is very big in view<br />
of the fact that soccer is a sport across all over<br />
the world and further it is a sport to be played<br />
permanently."<br />
Although soccer robot is not a smart business<br />
in terms of profit creation, its outlook is bright<br />
provided it is activated, he said.<br />
In reference to robot's Hanryu, or <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
wave, Chung explained: "In terms of technology<br />
order, <strong>Korea</strong> ranks the sixth position globally<br />
following Japan, USA, Italy and Germany. But,<br />
in terms of national support or the nation sentiment<br />
actually in personal robots, <strong>Korea</strong> ranks the<br />
second position after Japan, thereby competing<br />
with Japan right now in robot technology and<br />
furthermore domestic robot development<br />
is expected<br />
to develop as a<br />
spearheading technology to be<br />
able to lead world robot<br />
technology."<br />
Interview with President<br />
Chung Sang-bong,<br />
MINI ROBOT<br />
Q: Which robot product is MINI ROBOT developing<br />
currently?<br />
A: Since its establishment on Mar. 1999, MINI ROBOT<br />
has been participating in the government's robot policy<br />
development projects.<br />
Basically, our robot development standpoint is to do<br />
articulation's movement as a basis, not rolling form.<br />
What's more, MINI ROBOT pursues an assemblingmodel<br />
robot, not a finished-model product so that users<br />
can assemble firsthand.<br />
Q: How is the present condition for MINI ROBOT's<br />
outlet?<br />
A: Our robot for education is sold all over the world as a<br />
form of OEM (Original equipment manufacturing) for<br />
oversea sales including Japan, USA, Europe such as<br />
Germany, and so forth.<br />
The largest sales portion account for of course domestic<br />
home and Japan, but USA and Germany's sales volume<br />
is on the rise.<br />
In the case of Europe, academic institutions order for<br />
academic purpose and entertainment element is strong<br />
in the event of USA and Japan.<br />
Q: What do you think about a success possibility of<br />
humanoid soccer robot?<br />
A: By way of showing an example, MINI ROBOT will set<br />
an example about humanoid soccer robot in the forthcoming<br />
FIRA RoboWorld Cup USA 2007 which will be<br />
held in the middle of June in San Francisco.<br />
For a robot-manufacturer company, soccer robot is not<br />
a big market though it gives pleasure for viewers. Yet,<br />
providing it is activated, I believe there is a sufficient<br />
room for humanoid soccer to succeed.<br />
Q: What's your opinion regarding a possibility <strong>Korea</strong><br />
will usher world robot technology in terms of a<br />
spearheading technology?<br />
A: <strong>Korea</strong>'s robot industry is competing right now with<br />
Japan in terms of robot technology to a some degree,<br />
allowing us to be able to lead world robot technology.<br />
For the sake of robot's Hanryu (<strong>Korea</strong>n wave) in world<br />
robot market or robot's popularization, it is full of suggestions<br />
for <strong>Korea</strong> that Japan regards robot as its<br />
national vision project and as the most priority.<br />
1) robonova soccer 2) President Chung Sang-bong, MINI ROBOT<br />
5 6 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 5 7
Cover Story / FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2007<br />
European Robot Soccer Teams<br />
Play Second Fiddle to <strong>Korea</strong><br />
It looks like a scene from a 1980s<br />
science fiction film. Twenty-odd<br />
miniature metallic matchboxes<br />
chase each other around a desk that<br />
looks like a ping pong table in the desperate<br />
pursuit of an orange golf ball. On<br />
all sides, teams of frantic engineers<br />
gnaw on their fingernails and anxiously<br />
fiddle with computer keyboards.<br />
Believe it or not, this is soccer -- only<br />
not as most of the world knows it.<br />
The founders of the original<br />
RoboCup, the competition that spawned<br />
Robot soccer, made an amazing claim<br />
back in 1993. They proudly boasted:<br />
"By the middle of the 21st Century, a<br />
team of robots will be able to beat the<br />
winners of the most recent World Cup."<br />
It is hard to imagine the likes of<br />
Ronaldinho, Park Ji-Sung and David<br />
Beckham taking on these spinning tin<br />
cubes, but makers of the robots say that<br />
they are making quick progress.<br />
Though most competitive teams are<br />
made up of tiny box-like robots, there<br />
are now even humanoid robots that<br />
stand on two legs. That said, though,<br />
these mechanized players can currently<br />
do little more than take penalties or<br />
dribble very slowly around obstacles.<br />
While European soccer clubs might<br />
dominate human soccer, <strong>Korea</strong>ns hold<br />
all the cards in the robot version of the<br />
game. Teams from around the world<br />
have been taking it in turns to try to<br />
overthrow <strong>Korea</strong>, who dominate<br />
international competitions. But with<br />
limited funding and sponsorship for<br />
European teams, there is a lot of ground<br />
to make up.<br />
Victor Pakhomov is the lead member<br />
of the European side, The Moscow<br />
Pioneers. His side hails from Russia's<br />
leading robotics University department<br />
-- the mechanical engineering faculty of<br />
Moscow's MGU Institute. He explains<br />
that lack of money and opportunities for<br />
teams in Europe puts them at a disadvantage,<br />
especially when they go in for<br />
competitions like the 2006 World Cup<br />
in Dortmund.<br />
"We funded our trip to Germany<br />
largely with our own money," said<br />
Pakhomov. "The robots are expensive<br />
pieces of machinery which we have<br />
invested heavily in."<br />
Another factor that European sides<br />
have to deal with is the lack of domestic<br />
competition in their own countries. The<br />
Moscow Pioneers are Russia's only<br />
competitive side.<br />
"It's a pity. We went to Dortmund<br />
last year without having played a single<br />
competitive match before. In Russia we<br />
simply did not have anyone to play<br />
against. We might have developed one<br />
of the most technically advanced robot<br />
soccer teams in the world, but there is<br />
nobody else doing what we are in our<br />
country," said Pakhomov.<br />
Experts say a lack of individuality<br />
and flair tends to be where the robot<br />
players often fall down, though their<br />
team spirit is second to no human side.<br />
While the humanoid robots are capable<br />
of independent decision-making, the<br />
other models used in the international<br />
competitions use the collective mind of<br />
a single computer.<br />
The Moscow Pioneers' Pakhomov<br />
put it like this: "So far only the twolegged<br />
robots think for themselves. Our<br />
miniature players have, if you will, just<br />
one eye and one brain for the whole<br />
by Tim Alper<br />
tda7@hotmail.com<br />
team. The small cameras on the pitch<br />
and players all send on information to a<br />
central computer. That computer takes<br />
into account all the variables and gives<br />
instructions to the individual players."<br />
So are the likes of The Moscow<br />
Pioneers ready to take on the real-life<br />
soccer champions of this World? Are<br />
we to expect to see robot teams take on<br />
clubs like Chelsea or Real Madrid any<br />
time soon?<br />
"Unfortunately not," Said Pakhomov.<br />
"Our tiny robots bear very little resemblance<br />
to real life soccer players. They<br />
move on wheels, they don't use their<br />
feet. Instead they nudge the ball around<br />
with their bodies. The whole game is<br />
played out on a pitch sized 220 centimeters<br />
by 180."<br />
The Moscow Pioneers' Pakhomov<br />
said building an effective robot team is<br />
much more complex than it looks to the<br />
untrained eye. "There are between four<br />
and eleven players on a team. Every<br />
mechanical player needs to be able to<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n soccer journalist Park thinks robots<br />
have the power to transform sport<br />
see the ball, the goal, its team-mates, the<br />
opposition players -- and on top of this<br />
they need to be able to control and kick<br />
the ball. Every complex little player<br />
needs to be able to assess any given situation,"<br />
He says.<br />
And Pakhomov adds that the difficulty<br />
of building a Robot Soccer team cannot<br />
be underestimated. "The size of this<br />
task is phenomenal. It is straight out of<br />
the world of science fiction. You might<br />
say that it is a more difficult and more<br />
complex task than building a computer<br />
that is capable of beating the World<br />
Chess Champion."<br />
Dr. Ken Young is the brains behind<br />
the operation at British side Evolution,<br />
who hail from Warwick University in<br />
the UK. When asked what factors make<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n teams more successful, Dr.<br />
Young held nothing back. It seems<br />
Warwick's Evolution team did not find<br />
the rules of robot soccer particularly<br />
fair.<br />
Dr. Young said: "At the moment it<br />
appears to me that the <strong>Korea</strong>ns do their<br />
research and only when they have a<br />
solution do they change the rules. At<br />
this point they have no competition<br />
because everyone else's research has<br />
delivered something different."<br />
Although Evolution are not focusing<br />
on international competitions at the<br />
moment, Dr. Young says the current<br />
rules could well de-motivate potential<br />
participants. "I can see that doing it the<br />
way they organize regulations doesn't<br />
inspire other countries to participate.<br />
Formula 1 motor racing at least sets<br />
their rules six months in advance, for<br />
example. I have known robot soccer<br />
regulations come out less than two<br />
weeks in advance of a tournament," He<br />
explained.<br />
A lot of teams in Europe say they see<br />
robot soccer as a character-building<br />
challenge, rather than a race for trophies.<br />
The game, for many, is not about<br />
the robots but<br />
about the people<br />
who build<br />
them and what<br />
their involvement<br />
does to<br />
develop them as<br />
engineers and<br />
people. Dr.<br />
Young said: "At<br />
the moment<br />
robot soccer is<br />
the best challenge<br />
around<br />
for these engineers."<br />
But what<br />
about the ultimate<br />
question -<br />
will robots ever<br />
really be able to<br />
defeat people in<br />
the biggest<br />
sport in the<br />
World? Can<br />
these miniature<br />
golf carts actually<br />
ever aspire<br />
to become<br />
World-beaters?<br />
Park Kwangmin<br />
is a <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
soccer journalist who writes for a variety<br />
of <strong>Korea</strong>n newspapers and websites.<br />
He greets the idea of robots and humans<br />
engaged in sporting competition with a<br />
surprising optimism.<br />
He said: "It would bring in a whole<br />
new dimension to soccer, and it could<br />
even bring in a whole new set of fans.<br />
Robots in sport -- that is definitely<br />
something to get excited about."<br />
However, Evolution's Dr. Young is<br />
philosophical on the matter. "Do we<br />
ever want to beat the best humans?<br />
What would we do next? Sometimes<br />
perhaps it is better to travel than to<br />
arrive."<br />
European Robot<br />
Soccer Images<br />
One of British side<br />
Evolution's Robots<br />
gears up for action<br />
Evolution's Dr. Young<br />
believes <strong>Korea</strong> needs<br />
to play fair when it<br />
comes to robot soccer<br />
And perhaps he is right. If something<br />
as artistic and creative as soccer is<br />
ever perfected by robots to the level<br />
where Beckham and company would<br />
have to hang up their boots, it might be<br />
one of mankind's most impressive technological<br />
breakthroughs, but where<br />
would that leave the World's most popular<br />
sport? Will future generations' children<br />
dream not of playing soccer like<br />
Ronaldinho but of designing a robot that<br />
can play better than him?<br />
5 8 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 5 9
Ocean Day<br />
Aiming for Top 5 Ocean<br />
Superpower<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> is striving to become one of<br />
the world's top five ocean superpowers<br />
by 2016.<br />
"<strong>Korea</strong> will be able to enter the list of the<br />
world's top five ocean superpowers by 2016<br />
if it makes a strong push for enhancing competitiveness<br />
in the shipping and harbor industries,<br />
securing the ability of the fishery industry<br />
to stand on its own, and actively fostering<br />
the future-oriented and high value added<br />
ocean industry," said Minister of Maritime<br />
Affairs & Fisheries Kang Moo-hyun.<br />
At present, <strong>Korea</strong> ranked 10th in the<br />
world in terms of sea power with its rankings<br />
of 1st in shipbuilding, 5th in container<br />
disposal quantity, 8th in bottoms and 15th<br />
in production of fisheries products.<br />
"To help the country enter the list of the<br />
world's top five ocean superpowers, the<br />
government will enhance global competitiveness<br />
of the shipping, harbor and logistics<br />
industries by expanding growth foundation<br />
through establishment of organizations<br />
exclusively dealing with shipping, logistics<br />
and financing business and development of<br />
investment funds," said Kang.<br />
The ministry will also explore new<br />
growth engines, such as the ocean cruise<br />
industry, and build networks for global<br />
by Lee Kyung-min<br />
Kslee6489@hanmail.net<br />
shipping and logistics cooperation, he said.<br />
The ministry will also convert the fishery<br />
industry into a new growth-oriented<br />
industry through structural reform and market-centered<br />
distribution, processing and<br />
safety systems.<br />
"To cope with future environmental<br />
changes such as shortage of land space,<br />
deepening of environmental pollution and<br />
shortage of resources & energy, we will<br />
actively foster ocean science technology,<br />
protect the ocean environment and create<br />
new value in the ocean," said the minister.<br />
Asked about the tasks to strengthen the<br />
competitiveness of the domestic fishery<br />
industry, Minister Kang said the domestic<br />
fishery industry is suffering from market<br />
opening, reducing fishery resources and<br />
aging society.<br />
"In particular, as the market opening<br />
speed is expected to be accelerated further<br />
owing to negotiations of FTA and<br />
WTO/DDA, the domestic fishery industry<br />
is required to seek new direction," he said.<br />
Imports of fishery goods have steadily<br />
increased from 1.2 million tons in 1996 to<br />
1.4 million tons in 2000 and further to 2.6<br />
million tons in 2006, but the domestic production<br />
of fisheries in coastal and neighboring<br />
waters reduced from 1.6 million tons to<br />
1.2 million tons, and again to 1.1 million<br />
tons during the corresponding period.<br />
Meanwhile, the number of those in fishery<br />
villages decreased from 330,000 in<br />
1996 to 223,000 in 2006 with the portion of<br />
those aged 60 or older rising from 20.2 percent<br />
of the total to 34.3 percent during the<br />
corresponding period.<br />
For the fresh take-off of the domestic fishery<br />
industry, the government will create a<br />
sustainable fishery production foundation by<br />
systematically propelling projects to recover<br />
fishery resources and persistently cracking<br />
down on illegal fishery activities, he said.<br />
To support and foster the farming industry,<br />
it will also diversify farming items and<br />
accelerate development of high value added<br />
fishery items, while actively fostering<br />
export strategy items, including flatfish and<br />
abalone, said the minister.<br />
"We will aggressively foster the distribution<br />
and processing industries through<br />
reform of the distribution structure and<br />
strengthen the safety management for fisheries<br />
goods in order to enhance confidence in<br />
fishery products among people," said Kang.<br />
"In particular, the ministry will help fishery<br />
villages diversify and increase their<br />
Minister of Maritime Affairs & Fisheries<br />
Kang Moo-hyun<br />
incomes through activation of tourism programs to fishery<br />
villages, while making all-out efforts to improve living<br />
standards of fishermen," said the minister.<br />
On the plan to create new ocean industry generating<br />
high value adds, Minister Kang said that the ministry<br />
will push for demand-oriented mid and long-term<br />
R&D projects and other fresh projects.<br />
Related to this, the ministry is now conducting a<br />
feasibility study on the development of the U-based<br />
shipping logistics system and the development of<br />
ocean investigation equipment using nanotechnology<br />
and optical sensors.<br />
"At the same time, we will place emphasis on activating<br />
R&D projects related to ocean science technology<br />
and the development of equipment for ocean<br />
exploration and research equipment," he said.<br />
In line with this, the ministry will map out a comprehensive<br />
plan to effectively and systematically<br />
secure and manage ocean life resources, while developing<br />
relevant technologies, he said.<br />
In particular, he continued to say, the ministry will<br />
improve systems for finding out new R&D projects and<br />
propulsion systems in the environmental, fishery and<br />
safety fields.<br />
The ministry will persistently push for R&D projects<br />
for specific fishery goods and commercialize mid<br />
and large-scale R&D projects in the fishery fields.<br />
For effective management of R&D projects in the<br />
environmental and safety sectors, the government will<br />
also reinvent the propulsion systems of the existing<br />
businesses, while exploring new tasks continuously.<br />
INTERVIEW<br />
The following are excerpts from an interview with Minister of<br />
Maritime Affairs & Fisheries Kang Moo-hyun -- Ed.<br />
Q: Would you introduce the government's efforts to introduce<br />
the EXPO 2012 Yeosu <strong>Korea</strong> and relevant problems?<br />
A: The government has been going all-out to attract the EXPO<br />
2012 Yeosu <strong>Korea</strong>. Related to this, it established the committee<br />
supporting the attraction of the EXPO 2012 Yeosu <strong>Korea</strong> under the<br />
chairmanship of the prime minister. President Roh Moo-hyun has<br />
also made unsparing efforts for the introduction of the EXPO 2012<br />
Yeosu <strong>Korea</strong> by requesting his counterparts to support Seoul's<br />
move whenever he holds bilateral or multilateral summit meetings.<br />
Not only in the government sector but also in the private sector,<br />
all <strong>Korea</strong>n people are exerting best efforts to attract the world<br />
EXPO to Yeosu.<br />
For instance, chairmen of Hyundai Motor and GS Caltex are participating<br />
in the mission to attract the world EXPO and engaging in<br />
overseas promotion activities in Czechoslovakia, Slovakia, Brazil,<br />
and Oman.<br />
At the same time, the government is actively pushing ahead with<br />
the project to expand infrastructure, including roads and railroads, to<br />
secure superiority to other rival cities in attracting the world EXPO.<br />
Q: Would you comment on the government's plan to build a<br />
user-oriented and effective harbor logistics system?<br />
A: To promote convenience of users of harbor and efficiency,<br />
the government has been making a strong push for the harbor<br />
informatization project. It already established the Port-MIS system<br />
in 1996 and has been upgrading the system after collecting<br />
opinions from harbor users and officials at relevant institutions.<br />
The government established RFID-based wireless recognition<br />
system at nine container terminals in Busan Port in 2006.<br />
Since April this year, it has been carrying out a gate automation<br />
system and an automatic system to chase locations of containers<br />
and plans to expand the systems to major container terminals in<br />
the country, including Incheon and Gwangyang.<br />
Q: May 31 is the Day of Sea. Do you have any plan to commemorate<br />
the Day of Sea?<br />
A: To help people recognize the importance of sea and<br />
enhance ocean exploration spirit, the government enacted May<br />
31 as the Day of Sea in 1996.<br />
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Fisheries,<br />
Gyengsangbuk-do and Pohang City jointly held a ceremony to<br />
celebrate the 12th Day of Sea at the construction site of Yeongil<br />
New Port in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do this year.<br />
Under the subject of "life, production, sea of life," participants at<br />
the event resolved to make all-out efforts to help <strong>Korea</strong> jump<br />
toward ranks of the world's top five ocean superpowers.<br />
Along with this, a joint academic forum of the <strong>Korea</strong> Ocean<br />
Science Technology Council was held at COEX in Seoul on May<br />
31 to June 1 where experts in ocean science and students<br />
announced 660 papers.<br />
INTERVIEW<br />
6 0 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 6 1
KCTA 2007<br />
Related to the Fostering of Content on the<br />
systematic level for invigorating the content<br />
industry following the liberalization of the<br />
broadcasting market and the plans to support<br />
program providers (PPs).<br />
Substantial plans to introduce a support<br />
system for a digital production system for<br />
PPs and for the foundation of a high definition<br />
(HD) transmission center will be examined.<br />
casts for, broadband transmission services,<br />
including fiber to the home and optical<br />
LANs will be examined. The issues of<br />
introducing pre-DOCSIS and standardizing<br />
DOCSIS 3.0 and the forecasts on the future<br />
outlook after the commercialization will be<br />
discussed. The plans to introduce the QPS,<br />
which is an evolved version of the cable<br />
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) terminals,<br />
will also be discussed.<br />
Mature Technology Industry<br />
Exhibition<br />
The KCTA (<strong>Korea</strong>n Cable TV<br />
Association) Exhibition &<br />
Conference 2007 will take place<br />
for three days from June 13 to June 15 at<br />
the International Convention Center Jeju<br />
(ICC Jeju). A detailed roadmap for the<br />
Digital Media Center (DMC), the latest<br />
equipment, and major issues of digital<br />
cable TV will take center stage at the<br />
exhibition. Sponsored by the KCTA and<br />
supported by the <strong>Korea</strong>n Broadcasting<br />
Commission, the Ministry of Information<br />
and Communication, and the Ministry of<br />
Commerce, Industry, and Energy, the<br />
exhibition is expected to draw a total of<br />
about 3,000 people from over 1,000 companies<br />
around the world, the biggest size<br />
in the exhibition's history.<br />
200 Booths to exhibit latest<br />
equipment and content<br />
The exhibition venue will be comprised<br />
of 200 booths of over 120 <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
and foreign companies. It has been<br />
designed to add diversity along with a<br />
network hall, content hall, and complex<br />
services hall. An array of major equipment<br />
manufacturers, such as Samsung<br />
Electronics, Motorola, Cisco, SA,<br />
HUMAX, CURON, ARIS, BigBand<br />
Networks, TANDBERG, Dong Yang<br />
Telecom, Alticast, and ES Tech will participate.<br />
They will introduce<br />
Downloadable Conditional Access<br />
System (DCAS) set top boxes, data over<br />
cable service interface specifications<br />
(DOCSIS) 3.0 solutions and systems<br />
by Lee Kyong-Whan<br />
khlee@ittimes.co.kr<br />
related to digital cable TV broadcasting.<br />
AS for the major channels, CJ Media,<br />
Australian Broadcasting Corporation<br />
(ABC), Walt Disney <strong>Korea</strong>, BBC Global<br />
Channels of Britain, and France<br />
Television TV5 will create a PR hall displaying<br />
multimedia content.<br />
Special seminar with Jacques<br />
Attali, intellectual of modern<br />
France<br />
Jacques Attali, called the greatest<br />
scholar alive in France, will be making a<br />
special speech on June 13. At the seminar,<br />
Attali, a futurologist, will present the<br />
main values that the modern people who<br />
live in the omnipotent era of mobile communication<br />
and the Internet must not<br />
KCTA Chairman Oh Jee-chul<br />
overlook. He will be lecturing on the topics<br />
of the changes of the viewers in the digital<br />
era, media fusion and the future, and the<br />
missions and tasks of the media industry for<br />
two hours.<br />
Discussions on competitiveness<br />
It is forecast that much more diverse topics<br />
will be discussed this year than in previous<br />
years. The issues to be discussed<br />
include ways for cable TV channels to<br />
make a leap forward and become specialized<br />
media companies and plans to empower<br />
the corporate competitiveness of cable<br />
enterprises.<br />
The desirable reorganization of the<br />
media market following the introduction of<br />
Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and the<br />
directions for the improvement of the fusion<br />
policies will be presented. Intensive discussions<br />
will be held on the meaning of allowing<br />
the combined sales of dominant enterprises,<br />
its spreading effects, the mutually<br />
crossing entry into triple play services and<br />
the balance of regulations. Policy proposals<br />
on facility utilization, including the neutrality<br />
of the network, will be followed.<br />
Cultivating program provider<br />
content<br />
The fostering of content in the multiplatform<br />
era, and the plans for their utilization,<br />
will be looked into. Also to be discussed<br />
is the need to enact The Special Law<br />
The evolution of digital cable TV<br />
To be presented at the exhibition are the<br />
direction to streamline the middleware for<br />
an integrated DMC and a roadmap on the<br />
set top box according to the development of<br />
digital technologies. On the discussion<br />
agenda are the development status of new<br />
solutions, such as Downloadable<br />
Conditional Access Systems (DCASs) and<br />
CableHome, and the outlook for their adoption.<br />
Administration Director Han Woonyoung<br />
of the <strong>Korea</strong> Digital Cable<br />
Laboratories (KLabs) will be the speaker<br />
and representatives of <strong>Korea</strong>'s major multiple<br />
system operators (MSO), and set top<br />
box and computer-based automation systems<br />
enterprises will be attending as panelists.<br />
With the recent rise in the number of<br />
cable operators listed on the stock market,<br />
external experts are evaluating the appropriate<br />
values of <strong>Korea</strong>n system operators and<br />
program providers. Leading analysts and<br />
investors home and abroad will attend as<br />
panelists, and they will introduce successful<br />
cases of IPOs and their positive spreading<br />
effects.<br />
Study on the effects of cable TV<br />
advertising<br />
The causes behind the low rating of only<br />
the advertising effects at a time when the<br />
media power of cable TV is increasing will<br />
be analyzed along with discussion on countermeasures.<br />
The need for transparent data<br />
on advertisement and empirical methods to<br />
animate cable TV advertising will also be<br />
discussed. The plans to measure appropriate<br />
advertising effects in accordance with<br />
the changes in the digital environment will<br />
be sought after, too.<br />
The present situation of, and the fore-<br />
Cable TV's Visions and strategic<br />
tasks<br />
On the first day, June 13, an open forum<br />
will proceed on the main subject of visions<br />
and strategic tasks of cable TV in the digital<br />
era of opening up and fusion. The forum<br />
will center on the future of digital technologies<br />
and the media, the content industry in<br />
the era of liberalized broadcasting through<br />
free trade agreements, and the future visions<br />
and the strategic tasks of the cable industry.<br />
President and CEO Suh Byung-moon of the<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> Culture & Content Agency<br />
(KOCCA), CEO Choi Hwi-yeong of NHN,<br />
CEO Lee Kwan-hoon of CJ CableNet,<br />
President and CEO Kim Mun-yeon of<br />
Channel J, and Vice President Lee Banghyung<br />
of SKT will attend as main panelists.<br />
KCTA Exhibition & Conference 2006<br />
6 2 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 6 3
Microsoft Imagine Cup 2007<br />
<strong>IT</strong> Olympics<br />
Software<br />
Competition<br />
Imagine a world where technology enables a better education for all<br />
The <strong>IT</strong> Olympics Imagine Cup, hosted<br />
by Microsoft, will be held on<br />
August 5 to 10, 2007 in Seoul,<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>. In other words, the Imagine Cup is<br />
the best software competition rally which is<br />
held every year with students over 16 years<br />
old throughout the world as its participants.<br />
The Cup has been held yearly since the<br />
year 2003 under the auspices of<br />
Microsoft, hosting its fifth rally in 2007<br />
under way. Microsoft <strong>Korea</strong> officials<br />
said: "As the sole student software technology<br />
competition rally with the entire<br />
world as its object, participants and participating<br />
country numbers are increasing<br />
with a fast speed every year."<br />
Imagine Cup's themes are follows<br />
according to these officials: "Imagine a<br />
world where technology connects people,<br />
information, systems, and devices.<br />
Imagine a world where smart technology<br />
makes everyday life easier. Imagine a<br />
world where technology dissolves the<br />
boundaries between us. Imagine a world<br />
where technology enables us to live healthier<br />
lives." To date, Imagine Cup has been<br />
held in Spain, Brazil, Japan and India. It<br />
has grown from 12,000 people, to 30,000,<br />
50,000, and finally 68,000 each year.<br />
Imagine Cup's competitions include<br />
software design, embedded development,<br />
web development, information technology,<br />
algorithms, short films, interface and<br />
photos. First of all, software design is a<br />
competition in which students compete<br />
against each other's creativity and technology<br />
power while presenting their solution<br />
about a problem they think as the most<br />
challenging task by using software technology.<br />
Based on themes Imagine Cup<br />
presented, participants have to submit a<br />
creative, realistic, and useful software<br />
application. By using Microsoft's development<br />
tools and technology, competition<br />
participants must manufacture new software<br />
application programs which can<br />
demonstrate each person's idea, intellectual<br />
curiosity, and talent. Participants have<br />
Microsoft <strong>Korea</strong> CEO Yoo Jae-sung<br />
to show such innovation on the .NET<br />
Framework and Windows platform,<br />
Microsoft officials said.<br />
As all sorts of gadgets become more<br />
Director Park Nam-hee, developer and<br />
platform evangelist, Microsoft <strong>Korea</strong><br />
and more small-sized and convenient to<br />
carry, this exerts a big influence on our<br />
daily life. Here, there is an opportunity to<br />
acquaint oneself creativity widely and to<br />
be able to change the world. Embedded<br />
development is a competition which tests<br />
the ability to embed a perfect hardware<br />
and software solution by using Windows<br />
CE and offered hardware.<br />
Third, the web has reestablished ways<br />
through which people acquire information,<br />
learn and organize. People come to have<br />
an endless opportunity which can<br />
approach to even more ideas, intellectual<br />
curiosity, and topics of conversation. Web<br />
development competition part asks students<br />
to make an innovative education site<br />
for people using ASP.NET-related technologies.<br />
Web paves the way for a totally<br />
new sphere and educational possibility.<br />
Fourthly, the information technology<br />
competition vies necessary technology and<br />
science in developing <strong>IT</strong> systems that are<br />
more safe and stable, unfolding, and maintaining.<br />
In most cases, <strong>IT</strong> experts have to<br />
understand how to solve user demands<br />
with basic tools and technology and further,<br />
how to compose so that all parts can<br />
be harmonized and operated well. These<br />
things are commonly indispensable technologies<br />
so that all coffee shops, business<br />
environments, universities and even<br />
restaurants may be operated successfully.<br />
Information technology demands skilled<br />
ability from the students not only in dealing<br />
with data bases and servers, but also up<br />
to analyzing the <strong>IT</strong> environment.<br />
Algorithms is a competition which contends<br />
with individual problem solving abilities.<br />
Appropriate algorithm discovery and<br />
usage, wise embodiment and application<br />
are necessary items. The participants will<br />
be required to solve a series of problems<br />
such as difficult brain teasers and puzzles.<br />
The short film competition combines<br />
art and science to unfold a story.<br />
Competition participants have to express<br />
their opinion about Imagine Cup's theme<br />
and express themselves by using media.<br />
From concept and story board up to film<br />
manufacturing and editing, participants<br />
must understand all these things and make<br />
a deep impression on the audience.<br />
Original interpretation and creativity are<br />
A 'Fingercode system', which allows audiovisual<br />
teaching and general communication<br />
for the handicapped<br />
demanded and powerful goals and meaning<br />
must be held through digital media.<br />
Designers and developers provide a<br />
new experience and break established<br />
thinking by manufacturing excellentlydesigned<br />
user interfaces. The interface<br />
design competition asks designers all over<br />
the world to manufacture inherent, futureoriented,<br />
useful and competitive user interfaces.<br />
Participants must forge a dream<br />
application in connection with Imagine<br />
Cup's theme and have to show how their<br />
technology applies such application to real<br />
life. Creative and future-oriented, innovative<br />
interface is this competition's goal.<br />
Sejong University Team to compete in a runoff of the Imagine Cup 2007<br />
In a runoff of the upcoming August<br />
Imagine Cup 2007, the Sejong University<br />
team from <strong>Korea</strong> will contend with world<br />
participants. Sejong University's EN#<br />
605 team comes to compete with a<br />
Fingercode system which allows one to<br />
do audio-visual teaching for the handicapped<br />
and enables communication<br />
between the general public and the handicapped.<br />
In step with this year's Imagine<br />
Cup 2007 theme the EN# 605 team said<br />
that they felt keenly the necessity of<br />
developing this fingercode system so that<br />
the handicapped can receive smoothly<br />
audio-visual teaching.<br />
Professor Noh Yong-Deok,<br />
Department of Computer Engineering at<br />
Sejong University who guides this team,<br />
praised: "Students' passion about computers<br />
is considerable and they are<br />
preparing diligently for English presentations<br />
in preparation for the upcoming<br />
August Imagine Cup Seoul rally." EN#<br />
605 team students from Sejong<br />
University said: "This simultaneous<br />
Braille interpretation system for the<br />
handicapped in terms of audio-visual<br />
teaching is possible to be commercialized<br />
in the future." They have committed<br />
themselves to win first place by preparing<br />
even more so that the team can gain<br />
better fruit in the upcoming August Seoul<br />
Imagine Cup to raise <strong>Korea</strong>'s standing to<br />
the world.<br />
6 4 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 6 5
Analysis<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> Adapting?<br />
Exiting out of<br />
Jonggak<br />
Station,<br />
turning right, and<br />
walking into the<br />
buzz that is any<br />
major subway station<br />
in downtown Seoul, one may walk<br />
right past the large Bandi and Looni's<br />
Bookstore that sits in the heart of the<br />
subway station. Its position primarily<br />
fulfills a more aesthetic desire than a<br />
practical, come-look-over-here<br />
impact on a potential customer, but it<br />
does receive the busy-person's attention.<br />
What a typical passer-by may<br />
not know, though, is that an Apple<br />
Reseller sits right under the escalator<br />
of the famous bookstore chain in<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>.<br />
In my first article, I discussed how<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> has seemed to ignore the growing<br />
global dependency and market<br />
demand for Macintosh computers. I<br />
supported this idea by mentioning<br />
there were only two Macintosh<br />
Computer Stores within <strong>Korea</strong> at that<br />
time, and one was less than a year<br />
old. I also mentioned the benefits of a<br />
Macintosh computer very quickly,<br />
such as the immunity to the current<br />
viruses designed to primarily for<br />
Window operating systems.<br />
I followed this introductory argument<br />
with my second article that<br />
highlighted the non-Macintosh<br />
friendly Internet problem within<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>. In that article, the highlights<br />
were how, only last year the group<br />
Open Web <strong>Korea</strong> threatened a lawsuit<br />
on the South <strong>Korea</strong>n government if<br />
they did not make the internet friendly<br />
for Macintosh users. This change<br />
entailed not only fixing minor web<br />
pages, such as Naver, but also the<br />
main government's interactive web<br />
pages for citizens, through altering<br />
the <strong>Korea</strong>n internet's dependency<br />
only on ActiveX controls. Luckily,<br />
this change did occur and currently, it<br />
is only blogs such as CyWorld that do<br />
not make friendly relations with<br />
Macintosh computer operating systems.<br />
So, where now? As of one year<br />
ago, the technology <strong>Korea</strong> depended<br />
on subsisted of computer systems<br />
hostile towards working with<br />
Macintosh, object-oriented operating<br />
systems. But today, this seems to be<br />
changing. Is it true that <strong>Korea</strong> could<br />
change so much in one year that it has<br />
begun down the an effective<br />
Macintosh technological adaptation<br />
road?<br />
The answer is YES. Within this<br />
last year, the popularity and awareness<br />
of Macintosh has risen in the<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n computer market. Four or<br />
more new Macintosh stores have been<br />
built within Seoul within the last few<br />
months, one within the month or so.<br />
In addition, having spoken to a<br />
few readers of <strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Times</strong>, I have<br />
been repeatedly told that <strong>Korea</strong>ns are<br />
interested in learning more about the<br />
foreign, US-based computer item.<br />
Most <strong>Korea</strong>ns have mentioned that<br />
they have seen the computer in many<br />
American movies, and desire to learn<br />
about the different operating system.<br />
Other <strong>Korea</strong>ns, of course, have<br />
pointed out the negative aspects of a<br />
Macintosh computer. These complaints<br />
range from the lack of updates<br />
to keep Macintosh as an active competitor<br />
on the computer market to not<br />
having ActiveX controls already<br />
by Laura Sultan<br />
info@ittimes.co.kr<br />
installed in the computer when<br />
bought. The truths of these issues<br />
are, though, that only within <strong>Korea</strong><br />
have Macintosh users been facing<br />
problems. These problems are primarily<br />
still due to <strong>Korea</strong>'s computer<br />
technology not developing Macintosh<br />
compatibility quick enough to satisfy<br />
some <strong>Korea</strong>n Macintosh users.<br />
Macintosh has remained competitive<br />
on the global computer market, with<br />
programs such as the 2005 release of<br />
the dual operating system Mac which<br />
also supports Windows. In addition,<br />
most Macintosh computer users have<br />
already installed the Firefox web<br />
browser, a free installation from<br />
Mozilla which possesses the needed<br />
Active X technology to function on<br />
many <strong>Korea</strong>n websites.<br />
Even though some <strong>Korea</strong>n people<br />
still dislike the idea of a Macintosh<br />
integrated computer society, most<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>ns that I have spoken to support<br />
the idea or are at least curious about<br />
the possibility. Within the last few<br />
months, the Macintosh computer has<br />
transformed from an item that no one<br />
in <strong>Korea</strong> knew much about to a buzzword<br />
that people are researching on<br />
the internet. If people continue to<br />
remain curious and interested in the<br />
object-oriented<br />
computer operating<br />
system, the<br />
"balli balli"<br />
mentality of<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> will<br />
force the<br />
nation's computer<br />
technological<br />
society to soon<br />
adapt and integrate the once foreign<br />
object.<br />
6 6 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES
Global Match Making<br />
Channelfocused<br />
Security<br />
in<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
Market<br />
by Chun Go-eun<br />
toclair@ittimes.co.kr<br />
Kent Cheong, business development manager of GFI<br />
"Furthermore," he continued, "few of the<br />
biggest <strong>Korea</strong>n manufactories in world such<br />
as Samsung, LG, Hyundai, and the SMB<br />
companies who required the tools to manage<br />
and monitor their confidential data,<br />
based on the network and email servers --<br />
GFI family in Australia office<br />
this is a potential of the market, as GFI provides<br />
such software to fulfill their needs."<br />
Apart from <strong>Korea</strong>, GFI also focuses to<br />
branch out to China, Hong Kong,<br />
Singapore, Malaysia, India, Taiwan, Japan,<br />
Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines and<br />
Indonesia. The company aims to collaborate<br />
with software distributors and resellers<br />
in these countries to provide sales and technical<br />
support to their end users, which will<br />
eventually lead to a mutually beneficial that<br />
he refers to as a "win-win partnership."<br />
GFI is a leading software developer<br />
that provides a single source for<br />
network administrators to address<br />
their network security, content security and<br />
messaging needs. With award-winning<br />
technology, an aggressive pricing strategy<br />
and a strong focus on small to medium<br />
sized businesses, GFI is able to satisfy the<br />
need for business continuity and productivity<br />
encountered by organizations on a global<br />
scale. Founded in 1992, the company has<br />
offices in Malta, London, Raleigh, Hong<br />
Kong, Adelaide, Hamburg and Cyprus<br />
which support more than 200,000 installations<br />
worldwide. It is a channel-focused<br />
company with over 10,000 partners<br />
throughout the world.<br />
GFI has a strategic partnership with<br />
Microsoft - it is a Gold Certified Partner and<br />
a member of various limited access<br />
Microsoft groups such as the Exchange<br />
Server JDP program. Microsoft has presented<br />
the company with the Winning on<br />
Windows Award and the Microsoft Fusion<br />
award.<br />
Kent Cheong, a business development<br />
manager, introduced his company as a professional<br />
company that has been partnered<br />
with few software distributors and system<br />
integrators in <strong>Korea</strong>. Kent introduced:<br />
"Currently, we have around 10 partners in<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> and these partners are mainly focused<br />
on the network security and messaging markets,<br />
to provide services to their end users in<br />
terms of sales and technical support. As a<br />
Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, we are<br />
mainly focused on the Microsoft-based<br />
market -- the Windows platform, MS<br />
Exchange or MS ISA users."<br />
GFI is currently looking for software<br />
resellers and distributors in the vibrant high<br />
margin network security and messaging<br />
software markets. "We provide partnership<br />
program to our resellers," Kent continued,<br />
"to match GFI's award-winning technology<br />
and attractive pricing. Its objective is to<br />
enhance their business growth, profitability<br />
and market leadership. All partners will<br />
obtain unparalleled support by GFI, and to<br />
enhance our partnership, GFI will invest<br />
more to top contributing partners who are<br />
committed to deliver business results."<br />
Kent shares with us about a successful<br />
case of the business relationship GFI has<br />
built so far with other companies.<br />
"Softmate Co. and Man Technology Ltd.<br />
are the success stories which I would like to<br />
mention here," he said. "Softmate Co. is a<br />
technical consulting company who has been<br />
partnered with GFI since 2006. They provide<br />
technical services to resellers and end<br />
users during the stages of pre and post sales.<br />
"Man Technology is a solution developer<br />
which has been partnered with GFI since<br />
2005 and has localized one of the GFI products,<br />
GFI MailArchiver, into the <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
language. This is GFI's first product which<br />
provides a <strong>Korea</strong>n interface and Man<br />
Technology has integrated MailArchiver<br />
within the company's own technology to<br />
enhance the adaptability to the <strong>Korea</strong>n system<br />
environment."<br />
When thrown a question of his perspective<br />
on <strong>Korea</strong>n <strong>IT</strong> and its market, Kent<br />
replied: "In my point of view, <strong>Korea</strong> is a<br />
dynamic and attractive market for the software<br />
developer. The end users create a very<br />
sensitive market trend -- especially in <strong>IT</strong><br />
field. GFI is a market leader thanks to its<br />
ability to innovate and adopt key technologies<br />
early on. For example, GFI<br />
MailEssentials was the first server-based<br />
anti-spam software to include Bayesian filtering.<br />
GFI MailSecurity was the first software<br />
to tackle the email security problem<br />
more aggressively via its exploit checking<br />
and Trojan checking features. GFI<br />
FAXmaker led the way with its seamless<br />
email and network integration. GFI<br />
LANguard N.S.S. proved revolutionary in<br />
the security scanning market. GFI holds<br />
several patents pertaining to network and<br />
email security."<br />
6 8 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 6 9
People & Events<br />
Chungcheongbuk-do Investment<br />
Seminar<br />
Chungcheongbuk-do held the<br />
province's investment attraction<br />
explanation meeting on May 8 at<br />
Seoul Grand Hyatt.<br />
Chungcheongbuk-do is the<br />
gateway to the administration<br />
Governor Chung Woo-taik,<br />
Chungcheongbuk-do<br />
oriented complex city with the<br />
well-linked transportation<br />
network of highways, Osong<br />
Station and lattice structured<br />
highways, so any region of the<br />
nation is reachable within 2 hours.<br />
Besides, with the axis of Osong<br />
and Ochang Industrial Complexes,<br />
the province possesses the nation's top brands of information<br />
technology, biotechnology, high tech industries, the best land<br />
condition for industrial use and abundant quality human<br />
resources.<br />
On these foundations, Chungcheongbuk-do is the best place to<br />
do business, where high tech industries such and the pure<br />
environment are beautifully harmonized; where creative and<br />
dynamic economic activities are secured under the best location;<br />
and where men of industry are respected, said governor Chung<br />
Woo-taik in the seminar.<br />
As the project of constructing the Economic Special Province,<br />
Chungbuk is gradually realizing, Chungcheongbuk-do is facing its<br />
innovative turning point, from which it can take-off to a new stage.<br />
EOS Hits Seoul Street<br />
Volkswagen <strong>Korea</strong> launched the new EOS model, a hardtop<br />
convertible model for the four seasons on June 4th at Garden Place,<br />
Kwangwhamoon, Seoul.<br />
Through the launch of EOS which is definitely differentiated<br />
from established hardtop convertible models, Volkswagen <strong>Korea</strong> is<br />
expecting to create a great sensation at home like in Europe.<br />
In terms of safety as well, EOS pursues perfection, cutting off<br />
from all danger elements which can occur in convertible models.<br />
New Paradigm of Aviation<br />
Industry<br />
Under the theme New<br />
Paradigm of Aviation Industry:<br />
Incorporating Diversity and<br />
Dynamics, the 2nd ACI Asia-<br />
Pacific Regional Assembly<br />
Conference & Exhibition was<br />
held from May 21st to the 24th,<br />
2007 at Seoul Grand Hyatt.<br />
The Airports Council<br />
International is an advisory<br />
organization to the United<br />
Incheon International Airport<br />
President Lee Jae-hee<br />
Nations formed to foster progress<br />
in the world aviation industry by<br />
promoting exchange and<br />
cooperation between airports around the world. It consists of a<br />
general world headquarters and five regional bodies in Europe,<br />
North America, Asia, Central America, and Africa.<br />
Incheon International Airport President Lee Jae-hee said:<br />
"The 2nd ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly Conference &<br />
Exhibition will serve as a springboard for the future of aviation<br />
industry, allowing us to construct a network between members<br />
and to exchange new ideas."<br />
Yepp T9 Dungeon Fighter<br />
Special Edition<br />
Samsung Electronics announced Yepp T9 Dungeon & Fighter<br />
Special Edition, holding its product announcement ceremony on May<br />
2 at Coex Intercontinental Seoul.<br />
Yepp comes to be sold with 10,000 MP3 players, according to<br />
officials who are responsible for its marketing. For MP3 Player<br />
considerably exceptionally, Dungeon and Fighter's characters were<br />
adopted as design of product package.<br />
T9 Dungeon & Fighter Special Edition offers users with diverse<br />
contents such as each character's image and cartoon, and game<br />
moving-image by fitting in Yepp, according to those officials.<br />
Pleasant Wings to Vietnam and<br />
Indochina<br />
As part of the commemorating events for the 15th Anniversary<br />
of diplomatic ties between <strong>Korea</strong> and Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines<br />
held a presentation with the title Pleasant Wings to Vietnam and<br />
Indochina on May 22 at Lotte Hotel Seoul. Mr. Le Hoang Dzung,<br />
General Manager, Vietnam Airlines-<strong>Korea</strong>, said: "Economically,<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> is one of the five investment attraction goal countries and in<br />
that regard, we are proud of the fact that Vietnam Airlines serves<br />
as a bridge, which links bilateral exchange."<br />
The presentations consisted of speech by Ambassador Pham<br />
Tien Van of Vietnam in <strong>Korea</strong>, speech by chairman of <strong>Korea</strong><br />
Tourism Association, presentation of Vietnam Airlines, and dinner<br />
with Vietnam traditional performance.<br />
Currently, Vietnam Airlines is operating 16 flights per week<br />
and is helping <strong>Korea</strong>n passengers communicate by allowing at<br />
least one <strong>Korea</strong>n stewardess to board.<br />
Housing Sphere: '07 Raemian Style<br />
Following recent its Housing Sphere presentation regarding<br />
'07 Raemian Style for foreign journalists, Samsung<br />
Engineering & Construction Raemian Gallery invited the<br />
Seoul Correspondent Club members to its Gallery at noon on<br />
June 15 so that foreign journalists can experience the most<br />
state-of-the-art future life space and the latest <strong>IT</strong> technology<br />
firsthand, based on nature-friendly technology.<br />
President & CEO Lee Sang-dae, Samsung Engineering &<br />
Construction said: "The Company operates a residence<br />
experience pavilion so that visitors can experience firsthand<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s dwelling technology and design."<br />
Hong Kong Travel Mission 2007<br />
Hong Kong Travel Mission 2007 held a Gala Dinner for<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n travel business circles on May 29 at Lotte Hotel Seoul.<br />
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will launch the 2007<br />
Hong Kong Shopping Festival from 30 June to 31 August to<br />
tie in with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the<br />
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, according to Hong<br />
Kong Tourism Board in Seoul.<br />
With phenomenal support and a host of special offers and<br />
privileges from different sectors, the Festival is set to offer<br />
visitors an unforgettable shopping experience.<br />
The HKTB said that the mega summer shopping promotion,<br />
which is organized by the HKTB for the sixth consecutive<br />
year, has become a firm fixture on the city's events calendar.<br />
"Over the past years, our Festival has gained tremendous<br />
support from the retail, catering and tourism-related sectors,"<br />
officials responsible for marketing from HKTB remarked.<br />
Media Big Bang<br />
Ha Kum-loul, Chief<br />
Executive Secretary, Seoul<br />
Digital Forum<br />
20th Anniversary of KA<strong>IT</strong><br />
establishment<br />
Under the theme Media Big<br />
Bang, the Seoul Digital Forum<br />
2007 was held on May 29 to 31 at<br />
Sheraton Walker Hill Seoul. The<br />
media industry today is at the<br />
center of a revolutionary change.<br />
So much so that it would be no<br />
exaggeration to refer to it as the<br />
Media Big Bang according to Ha<br />
Kum-loul, Chief Executive<br />
Secretary, Seoul Digital Forum.<br />
"Amidst unprecedented<br />
development of technological<br />
capabilities and explosive<br />
proliferation of networks, the media<br />
as understood in the traditional sense is being challenged and the<br />
frontier that once delineated this unique industry is becoming far<br />
less clear. New players have emerged and existing industries that<br />
were distinctly different are converging rapidly," Ha added.<br />
These ripples of change are not limited to industries.<br />
Its impact is felt in politics, society and the economy. History<br />
has taught us that change in the media ultimately changes our<br />
world. Now with the <strong>Korea</strong>-US FTA, the <strong>Korea</strong>n media market<br />
will be faced with challenges heretofore unbeknownst to it.<br />
KA<strong>IT</strong> chairman Lee Ki-tae<br />
On the occasion of the 20th<br />
Anniversary of the establishment of the<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> Association of Information &<br />
Telecommunication, Chairman Lee Kitae<br />
held its commemorating function on<br />
May 22 at the Westin Chosun Seoul.<br />
The commemorating ceremony<br />
consisted of time capsule enshrinement<br />
ceremony, the Association 20 year<br />
history introduction, and congratulating<br />
performance and propose toast.<br />
Lee has committed himself to do its<br />
more best for the domestic <strong>IT</strong> technology<br />
development to lead the world.<br />
7 0 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 7 1
Expert Column<br />
Chai Jong-seo,<br />
director / principal<br />
researcher of KIRAMS<br />
Particle Accelerators,<br />
Favorite of Nanotechnology Age<br />
Ion beam technology:<br />
atomic unit processing possible<br />
This is the fourth of a six part series on medical cyclotrons which provide<br />
radioisotopes for positron emission tomography, a cancer diagnostic tool -- Ed.<br />
by Chai Jong-seo<br />
Ion beam application technology<br />
which utilizes low energy middle<br />
particle accelerator is a basic technology<br />
of diverse fields such as basic science,<br />
life science, material science, energy,<br />
semiconductor, medical treatment,<br />
chemistry industry, and defense with new<br />
research and means.<br />
Ion beam technology is being developed<br />
into both fields of focused ion beam<br />
technology (FIB) and broad-beam technology<br />
(BIB). A focused ion beam technology<br />
is a super minute processing technology<br />
which processes mainly with<br />
from several tens to several hundred<br />
nanometers in size. The broad-beam<br />
technology is an industrial application<br />
technology which has been used for 20<br />
years in semiconductor, aerospace, medical<br />
treatment and atomic energy fields.<br />
Currently lithography, ion beam evaporation<br />
and ion beam milling technology<br />
use ion beams indispensably in the semiconductor<br />
manufacturing process. In<br />
recent years, non-semiconductor field<br />
application research has also picked up.<br />
Simple ion beam etching, activated<br />
ion beam etching, chemical ion beam<br />
etching, ion beam evaporation, and ion<br />
beam investigation processes are representative<br />
application process of ion beam<br />
technology. As for staple application<br />
fields, it is being very diversely industrially<br />
applied in ring laser gyroscope mirrors<br />
and heads, optical instruments, ultraviolet<br />
ray detectors, microwave mingling<br />
technology, semiconductor equipment,<br />
polymer film and diamond coating.<br />
As research and development of semiconductors,<br />
life science, and materials<br />
science is extended to a molecular or an<br />
atomic level since the latter half of the<br />
21st century, detecting or concocting<br />
those things are coming to the front as an<br />
indispensable tool for research and<br />
development in the future. Ion beam<br />
technology is appropriate to such<br />
demands as it is a technology through<br />
which atomic processing is possible.<br />
On March 2003 the US government<br />
embarked on ion beam investigation<br />
technology for manufacturing<br />
lightweight aluminum compound materials<br />
to be second to steel's intensity and<br />
durability according to National<br />
Nanotechnology Initiative Development<br />
Plan under the influence of the US<br />
Department of Energy (DOE) according<br />
to the March 2003 Journal of Metals.<br />
Already in the beginning of the 21st<br />
century, the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun also<br />
has forecast the extension of the ion<br />
beam accelerator market to rapidly<br />
extend 10.1% by US$2.1 billion from the<br />
year 2001, based on The Equipment<br />
Market and Technology Trend from<br />
1996 through 2001, announced by the<br />
US VLSI Research.<br />
In addition, Japan's Ministry of<br />
International Trade and Industry has<br />
foreseen to develop a super thin film ion<br />
beam processing technology which will<br />
overcome a boundary of 0.1 by 2004.<br />
What's more, the Ministry has forecast<br />
that this process would serve as a certainly<br />
necessary technology for producing<br />
the extreme high density accumulation<br />
chip, according to the December 1007<br />
EE <strong>Times</strong>.<br />
Japan Atomic Energy Research<br />
Institute has succeeded in developing<br />
MOS-model transistor whose speed is<br />
fast and electrical consumption is small,<br />
by applying ion investigation technology.<br />
Rutgers University research team has<br />
also developed high efficiency's silicon<br />
nitride silicon chip, which is bigger 100<br />
times than existing one in terms of electricity<br />
auto's usage electric power density.<br />
It is also 100 times less in terms of<br />
electric power consumption, according to<br />
October 1998 LA <strong>Times</strong>.<br />
Ion beam technology is being intensively<br />
developed in an educationalindustrial-laboratorial<br />
collaboration program<br />
by teaming up with Wisconsin<br />
University, Los Alamos National Labs,<br />
and General Motors under the supervision<br />
of the US Department of Energy. In<br />
particular, along with nanotech device<br />
development, international technology<br />
development competition is becoming<br />
fiercer in the coming years.<br />
A focused ion beam technology can<br />
process 0.1 right now and in principle<br />
there is not any boundary of processing.<br />
Accordingly, accelerator science technicians<br />
are allowing the processing ability<br />
to be the extreme miniaturized continuously<br />
to an atomic level by developing<br />
surrounding equipment technology.<br />
Japan JAEA's micro beam equipment<br />
England Gray Cancer Institute's micro beam equipment<br />
Photos which investigate micro ion beam to a cell<br />
Precision micro beam equipment is being<br />
used actively for the development of<br />
nano-scale biotechnology, whose valueadd<br />
is very high right now.<br />
Middle-ion's microscopic or<br />
nanoscopic ion beam investigation<br />
equipment is excellent in improving<br />
diverse material's features. However,<br />
since its equipment is expensive and<br />
complex, it is being delayed to apply to<br />
other high-value industry circles besides<br />
semiconductor processing. Thanks to<br />
low-price equipment development<br />
through the simplification of equipment<br />
and processing gradually, non-semiconductor<br />
field industry application research<br />
also is being briskly attained.<br />
In a nutshell, ion beam equipment technology<br />
is the core technology field of<br />
Particle accelerator technology. A particle<br />
accelerator technology is the core complex<br />
technology in which ion beam acceleration,<br />
investigation, and diagnosis technology<br />
are combined. Thus, it has been recognized<br />
as a technology whose operation is<br />
difficult besides the fact that its facility<br />
investment expense costs much.<br />
Ion beam technology is one of the<br />
core technologies to usher the cuttingedge<br />
industry age of the 21st century,<br />
which is being used comprehensively<br />
from basic research such as medical<br />
treatment, electronics, precision measurement,<br />
information, life science, new<br />
material, energy, semiconductor, material<br />
processing, and nano-scale engineering<br />
up to industry.<br />
For quality improvement and industrial<br />
large-quantity production processing<br />
development, it is absolutely necessary to<br />
secure technology which can minimize<br />
ion beam equipment price.<br />
Targeting minuteness degree<br />
Micro beam equipment concept map<br />
A particle accelerator, which contributed<br />
decisively to basic science<br />
development such as nuclear physics of<br />
the 20st century, and elementary particle<br />
physics, is widening its utilization scope<br />
for medical treatment and for industry.<br />
On the occasion of the nano era in<br />
which each science technology demands<br />
a molecule and a atomic unit's inquiry<br />
and manupulation in the 21st century,<br />
accelerator's role is most of all important<br />
for the sake of a atomic unit's investigation<br />
and manupulation.<br />
Especially, a molecule accelerator<br />
technology in the medical treatment field<br />
is developing to the future-oriented convergence<br />
technology of a new concept,<br />
which converged with surrounding technology<br />
like the combination of accelerator<br />
and robot, and <strong>IT</strong> accelerator.<br />
7 2 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 7 3
Financing<br />
Integrated Capital Market Law<br />
Tasks to develop <strong>Korea</strong>n financial industry<br />
by Choi Ho-sang<br />
hschoi@seri.org<br />
Choi Ho-sang,<br />
chief researcher at Samsung Economic<br />
Research Institute<br />
The backgrounds behind the pursuit of<br />
an integrated capital market law -- a<br />
law related to the financial investment<br />
industry and the capital market -- to go<br />
into effect in 2008, are to establish a regulation<br />
system that can flexibly respond to the<br />
rapidly changing conditions of the financial<br />
market and to overcome the limitations of<br />
the current financial regulation system.<br />
Recently, the competition in financial markets<br />
all over the world has been intensifying.<br />
The work distinction among banks and<br />
securities companies and the limitations of<br />
their business entry have been disappearing.<br />
Due to the advancement of information<br />
technology, the business conditions of the<br />
financial market have been changing. Also,<br />
financial institutions are being integrated as<br />
can be seen in the case of financial holding<br />
companies. Accordingly, it has become<br />
necessary to improve the regulation system<br />
so that it can better respond to such a<br />
change.<br />
It can be evaluated that above anything<br />
else the integrated capital market law is a<br />
plan for seeking the invigoration of the<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n capital market. The development of<br />
a capital market that can smoothly perform<br />
the financial mediator function for promising<br />
venture companies and the like is very<br />
important from the perspective of cultivating<br />
new dynamic industries for national<br />
growth. In addition, the dominance of<br />
colossal banks and financial holding companies<br />
has been strengthened, and the foreign<br />
capitals that have acquired <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
financial institutions have embarked on full<br />
scale business expansions. In such surroundings,<br />
the development of the capital<br />
market is important for strengthening the<br />
competitiveness of the financial industry<br />
itself, too.<br />
In the future, it is expected that when the<br />
establishment of large-scale financial<br />
investment companies like Goldman Sachs<br />
and Merrill Lynch becomes visible in<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>, the financing of business enterprises<br />
will move from the one that centers on indirect<br />
financing by the existing commercial<br />
banks to financing by large-scale financial<br />
investment companies. Through this, the<br />
smooth mediation functions in support of<br />
innovative small- and medium-sized enterprises<br />
and venture companies will be promoted<br />
more. And there is a high probability<br />
that, through the invigoration of mergers<br />
among the non-banking financial institutions,<br />
the aggrandizement of secondary<br />
financial institutions in <strong>Korea</strong> will take<br />
place in earnest. However, there are some<br />
potential elements limiting the growth of<br />
financial investment companies. These are<br />
the overheated competition among financial<br />
services, the competitiveness gap with<br />
prominent overseas investment banks, the<br />
poor management of large-scale investment<br />
banks and its subsequent transfer to financial<br />
system risks and the insufficient expertise<br />
of investment banking services.<br />
As a result, policy support must be provided<br />
for a certain period for large-scale<br />
financial investment companies to grow. At<br />
the same time, a strategy must be laid out to<br />
make financial services up to a certain high<br />
standard, including the training of professionals<br />
for the development of advanced<br />
financial products and services. In addition,<br />
it is important to improve the financial<br />
supervision function to strengthen the<br />
soundness of large-scale financial investment<br />
companies. Concerning the economic<br />
effects resulting from the implementation of<br />
the integrated capital market law, focus<br />
should be placed on the development of the<br />
whole financial industry, and not limited<br />
aspects of an individual financial sector.<br />
For this, the interest clashes among related<br />
businesses must be considered. In the<br />
medium to long term, there is a need to<br />
unfold policies that can suffice both the<br />
development and stability of the financial<br />
industry at the same time.<br />
7 4 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES
Essay<br />
Blue Horizon of Digital Hallyu VI<br />
Digital Network Knowledge Country<br />
Theory to expand digital territory in the US China polarization era<br />
The following is the last in a six-part series of articles contributed by Cho Yong-joon,<br />
executive director, division of public relations & projects of the <strong>Korea</strong> Agency for<br />
Digital Opportunities and Promotion (KADO) --Ed.<br />
Cho Yong-joon, executive director,<br />
Division of Public Relations and<br />
Projects of the KADO<br />
New fights among superpowers have<br />
already begun to secure Central<br />
Asia, which is newly emerging as a<br />
resource rich region.<br />
Former Japanese Prime Minister<br />
Junichiro Koizumi visited Kazakhstan on<br />
August 28 last year, shortly before his<br />
retirement. It was the first visit to the country<br />
by a Japanese prime minister. What<br />
made the Japanese leader visit Kazakhstan?<br />
The right answer is uranium.<br />
Kazakhstan is the world's third biggest producer<br />
of uranium with about 30 percent of<br />
the total uranium reserves and the seventh<br />
largest producer of oil at 100 billion barrels<br />
a year. This fact attracts a number of leaders<br />
of the world to Astana, the capital of<br />
Kazakhstan.<br />
Faced with an era of high oil prices,<br />
nuclear power generation is stealing the<br />
spotlight from the world again as alternative<br />
energy. Many advanced countries<br />
such as China, Russia and Japan plan to<br />
increase the number of nuclear power<br />
plants in several years.<br />
For instance, China plans to additionally<br />
build 30 nuclear power plants by 2020,<br />
India 17 plants by 2012, and Russia 20<br />
plants by 2020. Besides that Germany,<br />
France, Italy and Finland faced an energy<br />
crisis owing to Russia's stoppage of gas<br />
supply early last year. Because of this they<br />
are all making a strong push for construction<br />
of additional nuclear power plants.<br />
Under this situation, the price of uranium<br />
jumped by 300 percent over recent years.<br />
Delivering the 2006 State of the Union<br />
address, President George Bush said that<br />
the United States is addicted to oil and he<br />
planned to reduce US dependency ratio on<br />
Middle East-produced oil by more than 75<br />
percent by 2025. To<br />
reduce the dependency<br />
ratio, the US should<br />
raise the dependency<br />
ratio on nuclear power<br />
plants and diversify oil<br />
import sources.<br />
Like this, it is very<br />
clear that an era of fossil<br />
fuel being drained<br />
will make new climate<br />
in relations of international<br />
dynamics.<br />
Central Asia is a<br />
battlefield without gunshots. The competition<br />
of superpowers to secure Central Asia<br />
will be fiercer than ever before.<br />
In addition to its rich energy and<br />
resources, Central Asia is a wide land of<br />
about 4 million square kilometers, about 18<br />
times that of the <strong>Korea</strong>n Peninsula.<br />
Accordingly, <strong>Korea</strong> needs to make<br />
Central Asia, including Iran, Kazakhstan,<br />
Uzbekistan, a new Blue Ocean by creating<br />
the feeling of solidarity.<br />
From Silk Road to digital road<br />
Fortunately, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan<br />
are now busy building information infrastructure.<br />
Kazakhstan has been constructing<br />
an optical fiber state information expressway<br />
under its three-year plan to modernize<br />
communication networks since 2004.<br />
DOF 2006 Seoul Conference, held under the auspices of KADO<br />
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan plans to build<br />
networks linking all areas of the country<br />
under its ambitious plan to foster the information<br />
and communication industry from<br />
2002 to 2010 in an effort to revive its past<br />
glory of the Silk Road as a hub connecting<br />
Europe and Asia.<br />
The <strong>Korea</strong>n government extended 16.3<br />
billion won (US$17.6 million) in EDCF<br />
loans to Kazakhstan for its informatization<br />
project. Since 1998, <strong>IT</strong> cooperation<br />
between <strong>Korea</strong> and Kazakhstan and <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
<strong>IT</strong> companies' advancement into<br />
Kazakhstan has begun.<br />
In particular, <strong>Korea</strong>'s WiBro, which<br />
combined Internet and mobile communication,<br />
is the most suitable technology for<br />
Kazakhstan, which has a population of 15<br />
million and owns land equivalent to 27<br />
times the size of <strong>Korea</strong>.<br />
Uzbekistan also recognizes <strong>Korea</strong> as its<br />
biggest partner for economic development<br />
projects, including natural resources.<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> is the second largest trading country<br />
for Uzbekistan, following Russia.<br />
Moreover, Uzbekistan has been sticking to<br />
its position to exclude Western companies<br />
from its resources development projects as<br />
much as possible. It is because Uzbekistan<br />
hopes to receive <strong>Korea</strong>'s know-how in economic<br />
development.<br />
Conclusion<br />
The Silk Road of today calls for new<br />
attention. The Silk Road links Busan,<br />
Mongolia, Moscow and Dubai in United<br />
Arab Emirates. It is a giant economic bloc<br />
surpassing the European Union (EU) or<br />
North America.<br />
The Central Asian region into which<br />
Silk Road penetrates is a new Blue Ocean.<br />
In other words, <strong>Korea</strong>'s WiBro and digital<br />
multimedia broadcasting (DMB) could be<br />
called Digital Money.<br />
Mongolia is a good example. A communication<br />
network is very important for<br />
Mongolia as its land is 7.4 times the size of<br />
the <strong>Korea</strong>n Peninsula and 30 percent of its<br />
2.8 million people live in its capital<br />
Ulaanbaatar. The remaining people are<br />
scattered across the country.<br />
It is a very difficult thing for Mongolia<br />
to connect such wide land with wire communication<br />
networks. Even if it is connected<br />
with mobile communication, the information<br />
gap will still remain as the country's<br />
major problem to solve owing to difficulties<br />
in access and use of Internet.<br />
However, <strong>Korea</strong>'s WiBro can solve the<br />
Mongolia's information gap easily as<br />
WiBro enables use of Internet in almost all<br />
regions with setup of relay centers.<br />
WiBro was adopted as an international<br />
standard at the Institute of Electrical and<br />
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) at the end of<br />
last year.<br />
The dream of most people in the Middle<br />
East, Latin America and Africa is to drive<br />
Hyundai Motor cars, call with Samsung<br />
mobile phones and use LG refrigerators and<br />
air conditioners. Likewise, commercialization<br />
of WiBro and DMB will be the dream<br />
of people in the world in the near future.<br />
Now, <strong>Korea</strong> is facing a good chance as<br />
it has created a leading digital technology<br />
that could create global demands. Among<br />
OECD countries, South <strong>Korea</strong> ranked first<br />
in terms of the contribution ratio of <strong>IT</strong> to<br />
exports. The nation also secures the<br />
world's top position in terms of the <strong>IT</strong> contribution<br />
to domestic economic growth.<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s total<br />
exports rose by 119<br />
percent from<br />
US$129.7 billion in<br />
1995 to US$284.4<br />
billion in 2005. In<br />
the meantime, the<br />
nation's <strong>IT</strong> exports<br />
skyrocketed from<br />
US$38.4 billion in<br />
1996 to more than<br />
US$100 billion.<br />
The portion of <strong>IT</strong><br />
industry to total<br />
exports also rose by<br />
6.3 percentage points<br />
from 29.6 percent in<br />
1995 to 35.9 percent<br />
in 2005.<br />
The trade balance of the <strong>IT</strong> industry<br />
expanded from US$15.2 billion in 1995 to<br />
US$48.4 billion in 2005, playing a great<br />
role in converting the trade balance of the<br />
overall industry into a surplus.<br />
<strong>IT</strong> exports are also predicted to have<br />
surpassed US$113 billion in 2006, exceeding<br />
the earlier prediction of US$112.4 billion.<br />
These records are very valuable as they<br />
were achieved despite such difficult conditions<br />
as the won's appreciation against the<br />
US dollar, high oil prices and a fall in unit<br />
prices of export items following intensified<br />
global competition.<br />
However, it is difficult to predict whether<br />
or not <strong>IT</strong> exports will continue an upward<br />
trend in the future. <strong>Korea</strong>'s persistent <strong>IT</strong><br />
growth could be possible only when <strong>Korea</strong><br />
leads a new change of paradigm based on<br />
the present <strong>IT</strong> technology power that led the<br />
world's <strong>IT</strong> flow in the past 10 years.<br />
At the center of the change of paradigm<br />
is <strong>Korea</strong>'s conversion into a digital network<br />
knowledge nation.<br />
Now we should make all-out efforts to let<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s post horse armed with advanced digital<br />
networks dominate all over the world.<br />
7 6 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 7 7
Country Report / Philippines<br />
Manila, the capital of the Philippines, at night<br />
Narrowing Digital Divide<br />
The following is an interview with Susan O. Castrence, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines, on the occasion of the 109th<br />
Anniversary of Philippine Independence on June 12, 2007 -- Ed.<br />
Susan O. Castrence, Ambassador of the<br />
Republic of the Philippines<br />
Q: Please state the significance of the<br />
Independence Day of the Philippines on<br />
June 12.<br />
A: The National Day commemorates<br />
our independence from Spanish colonial<br />
rule. General Emilio Aguinaldo, the first<br />
president of the Republic of the<br />
Philippines, declared independence from<br />
Spain on June 12, 1898 after more than<br />
three centuries of colonization.<br />
Q: What is your opinion regarding<br />
mutual <strong>IT</strong> cooperation between the two<br />
countries which could be explored in the<br />
coming years?<br />
A: South <strong>Korea</strong> presents a model for <strong>IT</strong><br />
development. South <strong>Korea</strong> is a leader in e-<br />
governance and boasts one of the highest<br />
internet penetration rates in the world.<br />
Because of its prominent role as an <strong>IT</strong> hub,<br />
South <strong>Korea</strong> can play a significant role in<br />
helping narrow the digital divide and contribute<br />
to the e-integration of the East<br />
Asian region in both commerce and governance.<br />
The Philippines can learn a lot from<br />
South <strong>Korea</strong>'s experience. For instance,<br />
both nations will profit from regular people<br />
exchanges, sharing of experiences and<br />
technology transfers. I certainly believe<br />
that there is ample opportunity for collaboration<br />
in the <strong>IT</strong> field in the coming years.<br />
Q: How is the state of <strong>IT</strong> collaboration<br />
between the two countries right now?<br />
Are there any opportunities for <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
<strong>IT</strong> investors?<br />
A: <strong>IT</strong> collaboration between the<br />
Philippines and South <strong>Korea</strong> is active, but<br />
the further development of requisite infrastructure<br />
is perhaps the main area where<br />
South <strong>Korea</strong> and the Philippines can closely<br />
collaborate. The Philippines is rich in talented,<br />
multi-lingual and determined people who<br />
easily adapt to the challenges of a globalizing<br />
world. South <strong>Korea</strong>, meanwhile, offers a<br />
genuine model for <strong>IT</strong> growth. I believe that<br />
if we are able to successfully explore and<br />
properly utilize our complementarities, we<br />
will reap immense advantages by tapping<br />
each other's synergies.<br />
For example, South <strong>Korea</strong>n companies<br />
can invest in hardware and <strong>IT</strong> facilities in<br />
Manila while our professionals can supply<br />
the manpower. Filipinos are well-educated,<br />
skilled in software development and able to<br />
understand cultural nuances. Our graduates<br />
can concentrate on language, design and<br />
content as your firms focus on strategic<br />
niche-carving and expansion.<br />
Another area is in animation: South<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>ns have the technology; the<br />
Philippines has a vast talent pool in this area.<br />
Q: Please touch upon the Philippines'<br />
<strong>IT</strong> policy.<br />
A: The Philippine Department of<br />
Transportation and Communication and<br />
the Philippine Commission on<br />
Information and Communications<br />
Technology (CICT) are the two agencies<br />
tasked to implement the country's ICT<br />
goals. The Philippines recognizes the<br />
high-growth potential of ICT and e-commerce.<br />
In the year 2000, the country<br />
passed the e-Commerce Act which provides<br />
the appropriate environment for<br />
encouraging the growth of e-commerce in<br />
the country and mandates all government<br />
agencies to make their services available<br />
online.<br />
The Information Technology and E-<br />
Commerce Council has come up with the<br />
vision of an e-Philippines - an "electronically<br />
enabled society where citizens live<br />
in an environment that will promote<br />
access to technologies and provide quality<br />
education, efficient government service,<br />
greater sources of livelihood and, ultimately,<br />
a better way of life."<br />
According to the CICT, the e-<br />
Philippines vision is anchored on five<br />
equally important strategies. These are to<br />
develop the country as a world-class ICT<br />
services provider, provide government<br />
services to stakeholders online, provide<br />
affordable Internet access to all segments<br />
of the population, develop an ICT-enabled<br />
workforce, and create an enabling legal<br />
and regulatory environment.<br />
The Pahiyas Festival in the Philippines, usually held in May<br />
Q: Please touch upon the commercial<br />
possibility in the Philippines of <strong>Korea</strong>'s<br />
<strong>IT</strong> technology and products such as<br />
DMB & WiBro.<br />
A: The Philippines welcomes and actually<br />
offers fertile opportunities for <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
DMB and WiBro products. The<br />
Philippines stands to benefit from such<br />
technological breakthroughs because it is<br />
an archipelago. Linking the islands in a<br />
seamless fashion is a primary concern for<br />
local and national governments in order to<br />
achieve a more efficient and effective<br />
delivery of services. The establishment of<br />
reliable networks of communication will<br />
also ensure a smooth and dynamic flow of<br />
information and contribute to the creation<br />
of an atmosphere conducive to businesses.<br />
However, compared to South <strong>Korea</strong>,<br />
access to infrastructure in the Philippines<br />
is not as readily available. This is where<br />
South <strong>Korea</strong> can come in; by helping the<br />
Philippines first enhance its <strong>IT</strong> infrastructure,<br />
South <strong>Korea</strong> will also open doors for<br />
investment. Many <strong>Korea</strong>n companies<br />
have already recognized this potential and<br />
set up camp in various towns and cities<br />
throughout the archipelago. As these ventures<br />
prove their foresight and wisdom<br />
through the surefire returns that roll in, I<br />
expect more will follow.<br />
Filipinos are known to be loyal patrons<br />
of mobile phones. With the helpful Short<br />
Message Service, mobile phones have<br />
gained unprecedented popularity during<br />
the last six or seven years: the Philippines<br />
generates one of the biggest traffic of text<br />
messages worldwide. Perhaps as the<br />
Philippines treads a path similar to South<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s and becomes more digitized, the<br />
use of DMB and WiBro will gain greater<br />
ground.<br />
Q: Please forecast the Philippines' role<br />
in Asia today.<br />
A: The Philippines has emerged as a<br />
veritable business and tourism destination.<br />
Last year, 572,133 <strong>Korea</strong>ns visited the<br />
Philippines, making South <strong>Korea</strong> the<br />
Philippines' top source of tourist arrivals<br />
ahead of the US and Japan. This posted a<br />
16.9% increase from 2005, when arrivals<br />
peaked at slightly below half a million. In<br />
January 2007, a total of 70,733 <strong>Korea</strong>ns<br />
visited the islands. Around 70,000<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>ns have decided to reside in the<br />
Philippines permanently; most of them are<br />
missionaries, businessmen and <strong>Korea</strong>ns<br />
married to Filipinos. Many stay for a<br />
short-term as students or vacationers.<br />
We have a vibrant democracy and a<br />
free press. We are active in both regional<br />
and multilateral organizations like<br />
ASEAN and its related mechanisms,<br />
APEC and WTO. I believe that as we tap<br />
our potential and further explore our<br />
strengths, there is no way to go but up.<br />
7 8 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 7 9
Country Report<br />
In succession to the naming of Dole Food<br />
Co., Inc. as one of the World's Most<br />
Ethical Companies in 2007, Dole <strong>Korea</strong>, a<br />
subsidiary of Dole Food has won the Grand<br />
Prize in Consumer Trust Awards 2007 as the<br />
company trusted the most by <strong>Korea</strong>n consumers.<br />
What this signifies is that Dole <strong>Korea</strong><br />
is now firmly rooted in the <strong>Korea</strong>n market as a<br />
food supplier that has won consumers' deep<br />
trust in parallel with the company's founding<br />
motto of "quality first, quality second, and<br />
quality third."<br />
The company operates a fresh food maintenance<br />
system, providing <strong>Korea</strong>n consumers<br />
with healthy, fresh products by means of refrigerated<br />
trucks, airplanes, and exclusive shipping<br />
lines. Dole <strong>Korea</strong>'s products are quickly packaged<br />
right after harvest to provide consumers<br />
with products that are not only tasty and nutritious<br />
but also trustful. In order to supply highest<br />
quality products that meet the consumer needs<br />
that are changing minute by minute, the company<br />
operates its own research and development<br />
center.<br />
Dole <strong>Korea</strong>'s strenuous efforts directed at ecofriendly<br />
and quality products are paying off with<br />
a number of international recognitions. These<br />
include the company winning the world's first<br />
ISO 14001 certificate for environmental management<br />
systems in addition to the quality management<br />
ISO 9002, the food safety and superior<br />
quality SQF2000, and one in organic agriculture.<br />
With an aim to be reborn as a food supplier<br />
that cares for the health of consumers, Dole<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> has been carrying out the Healthy 5<br />
Colors Campaign since 2004 to promote the<br />
consumption of vegetables and fruit of five different<br />
colors five times a day. As part of this<br />
campaign, Dole <strong>Korea</strong> regularly visits kindergartens<br />
and elementary schools in Seoul and<br />
neighboring regions to hold an event called<br />
Children's Cooking Class to correct the bad<br />
eating habits of children who are accustomed<br />
to fast foods and to promote nutritious balanced<br />
diet. Aside from these, Dole <strong>Korea</strong> offers<br />
opportunities to experience Dole through cooking<br />
classes in places where consumers frequently<br />
visit, such as department stores, discount<br />
chains, and children's theme parks. Also,<br />
Dole <strong>Korea</strong> is actively seeking two-way communication<br />
with consumers. It provides information<br />
on the Healthy 5 Colors Campaign,<br />
culinary menus and recipes, and various fruits<br />
/ Dole<br />
Most Trusted Company in <strong>Korea</strong><br />
on its homepage for easy access by consumers.<br />
Only through such ceaseless efforts to get closer<br />
to consumers, the company believes, Dole<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> can be rejuvenated as a food supplier of<br />
the freshest and highest quality vegetables and<br />
fruit that can be trusted by the demanding<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n consumers.<br />
Trusted Company of <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
Consumers in 2007<br />
The selection of Consumers' Most Trusted<br />
Companies for 2007 was conducted by the<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> Economic Daily and <strong>Korea</strong>n Customers'<br />
Forum. A total of 407 companies of consumer<br />
goods and services were reviewed for through<br />
various means including the Internet and postcards.<br />
In the selection, consumers directly participated<br />
in the evaluation on five categories<br />
such as the degree of trust on products and services,<br />
the trust on safeguarding consumers, and<br />
the trust on providing transparent information.<br />
Dole Food Company, Inc. was named one<br />
of the World's Most Ethical Companies by<br />
Ethisphere Magazine, a national publication<br />
dedicated to illuminating the important correlation<br />
between ethics and profit. The elite list of<br />
companies were recognized for their strong<br />
leadership in ethics and compliance, advancement<br />
of industry discourse on social and ethical<br />
issues, and positive engagement in the communities<br />
in which they operate.<br />
"We are honored to receive this designation<br />
from Ethisphere Magazine," said David<br />
Murdock, chairman and chief executive officer<br />
of Dole Food Company. "Dole takes great<br />
pride in our corporate ethics and social responsibility.<br />
We treat all employees and business<br />
associates with dignity and respect. Special<br />
attention is given to safeguarding Dole employees'<br />
health, providing competitive wages and<br />
benefits, honoring collective representation,<br />
enhancing and empowering our communities<br />
and protecting the environment in which we<br />
work and live."<br />
Ethisphere Magazine, the magazine has a<br />
circulation of 65,000 global Board members,<br />
CEOs, General Counsel, Chief Ethics and<br />
Compliance Officers and institutional<br />
investors, offers insight to on gaining market<br />
share and creating sustainable competitive<br />
advantage through ethical business practices<br />
and corporate citizenship.<br />
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European<br />
Commissioner for External Relations and<br />
Neighbourhood Policy<br />
Peace,<br />
Prosperity,<br />
Stability<br />
/ EU Day<br />
May 9, or Europe Day, is the anniversary of the Schuman<br />
Declaration. Speaking in Paris in 1950, Robert<br />
Schuman, then Foreign Minister of France, proposed a<br />
new form of political arrangement for Europe, whose aim was to<br />
make war between Europe's nations unthinkable.<br />
His vision and foresight were confirmed earlier this year when<br />
we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the European Union, the body<br />
created as a result of that famous Declaration.<br />
It has undoubtedly been a tremendous success. For fifty years its<br />
members have enjoyed unprecedented levels of peace, prosperity<br />
and stability.<br />
Over the years it has evolved to be much more than a simple trading<br />
bloc coordinating members' trade policy and setting common tariffs.<br />
Today the European Union is a political and economic project<br />
bringing together 27 European countries and over 490 million people.<br />
Its citizens can study, work or live in another EU country with a minimum<br />
of red tape and they can enjoy health and social benefits everywhere.<br />
Travel across Europe is increasingly passport-free and the majority of its citizens<br />
share a single currency.<br />
The EU is active in all the areas that pose the greatest challenges to<br />
society in the 21st century. We are a strategic partner for countries<br />
around the world on issues as varied as international terrorism, climate<br />
change, HIV/AIDS, and resolving the world's most entrenched<br />
conflicts. Over the past decade, the EU has played an active role in<br />
support of wider international efforts to promote peace and stability<br />
on the <strong>Korea</strong>n peninsula. It has offered political support to the Six<br />
Party Talks process.<br />
Our prosperity has grown out of a particular form of regional cooperation<br />
which has developed hand in hand with a deeper commitment<br />
to democracy, human rights and the rule of law. It is this experience,<br />
the secret of our own success, which we seek to offer to others.<br />
The EU is fully engaged in the multilateral trading system and considers<br />
the negotiations of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) as its first<br />
priority. It is only through multilateral liberalization and commonly<br />
agreed rules that the benefit of globalization can be fully exploited. This is<br />
particularly true for developing countries.<br />
As a complement to that, the EU considers that bilateral liberalization<br />
of goods and services would also contribute to the strengthening of<br />
the multilateral trading system. Therefore, the EU just launched negotiations<br />
for a series of comprehensive and high-level FTAs that would<br />
open new markets and expand opportunities. The EU being <strong>Korea</strong>'s<br />
second largest market and <strong>Korea</strong> the fourth largest non-European trading<br />
partner for the EU the bilateral relationship can only be strengthened<br />
through such a comprehensive trade and investment agreement.<br />
We are still developing our common European foreign policy. But<br />
we are already the world's largest donor, providing 60% of the world's<br />
official development assistance. The European Commission alone<br />
gives over 7 billion Euro every year.<br />
We aim to tackle poverty and provide humanitarian assistance<br />
wherever it is required. We build up trading and investment partnerships.<br />
And we deploy our unique set of skills in assisting countries in<br />
transition to ensure others benefit from our own prosperity and stability.<br />
We believe that it's only through partnership that solutions to the<br />
world's problems can be found. That's why we put so much value on<br />
our relations with our partners around the globe and it's also why we<br />
are so committed to multilateralism.<br />
The European Union has a dense network of formal agreements and<br />
over 130 delegations around the world to cooperate with countries on<br />
issues like trade, energy, climate change, human rights and international<br />
organized crime.<br />
We are also developing police and military missions. We have<br />
deployed over 60,000 military personnel and civilians around the world<br />
delivering support in crisis situations in the Middle East, Africa and<br />
post-tsunami Indonesia.<br />
In the years ahead we will continue to work with our friends and<br />
partners on the major issues confronting us all: climate change, energy<br />
security, conflict resolution and managing the forces of globalization.<br />
We will also work to promote the values we hold dear and which we<br />
believe hold the key to our own prosperity -- respect for human rights,<br />
democracy and the rule of law.<br />
On this symbolic day we reaffirm the objective we set ourselves<br />
for the next 50 years: using the achievements of the last 50 years --<br />
our wealth, peace and experience -- not only to maintain our own<br />
standard of living, but also for the benefit of others.<br />
8 0 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 8 1
Country Report / Italy<br />
Ambassador of Italy in Seoul, H.E.<br />
Massimo Andrea Leggeri<br />
S&T Policy in Italy,<br />
Cooperation with <strong>Korea</strong><br />
The following is a message from the Ambassador of Italy in Seoul, Massimo Andrea Leggeri --Ed.<br />
The Embassy of Italy is indeed very<br />
pleased to send this message to the<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> <strong>IT</strong> <strong>Times</strong> on the occasion of<br />
the 2007 Italian National Day on June 2nd,<br />
1946. This is a day particularly important<br />
for our Embassy in Seoul, being a day of<br />
celebration of the excellent relationship<br />
between Italy and <strong>Korea</strong>.<br />
In this message I'm pleased to enhance<br />
the Information and Communication<br />
Technology (ICT) status of R&D and its<br />
industrial scenario in Italy and the relevant<br />
links existing between the two Countries.<br />
ICT represents the forefront of a technological<br />
revolution that day by day is<br />
changing and improving our Society and<br />
Italy is among top Countries in the use of<br />
internet broadband communications and<br />
diffusion of mobile phones.<br />
Italian ICT related activities have a<br />
2006 market of 63.844 billion Euros<br />
(US$86.229 billion) and the 85,600 ICT<br />
Italian companies are around 1% of the<br />
total Companies in our country.<br />
The total manpower in the ICT field<br />
represents the 3.1% of total Italian manpower<br />
and it is shared as 74.7% in service<br />
activities, 21.1% in telecommunications<br />
and 25.3% in manufacturing activities.<br />
The Italian national ICT strategy is to<br />
develop a better knowledge of scientific<br />
and technological (S&T) aspects, and to<br />
strengthen the technological and commercial<br />
level of the Italian productive and services<br />
system.<br />
The Italian Government has addressed<br />
the S&T national policy in the 2003 to<br />
2007 period through the assessment of<br />
new National Research Plans representing<br />
an updated strategy in order to strengthen<br />
scientific and technological research and<br />
to improve the competitiveness of most<br />
advanced industry.<br />
ICT technologies represent one of the<br />
ten selected priorities and the Plans foresee<br />
three main strategic lines of action:<br />
1. Reinforcement of the scientific<br />
base of the country, looking for<br />
excellence, merit, internationalization,<br />
economic growth and<br />
making the most of human capital;<br />
2. Strengthening the technological<br />
level of the Italian productive<br />
system to maintain competitiveness,<br />
focusing on ten strategic<br />
industrial research programs<br />
involving also the participation<br />
of universities and research<br />
centers;<br />
3. Support active participation in<br />
EU programs and in international<br />
agreements.<br />
The 2006 Italian ICT market is represented<br />
by <strong>IT</strong> applications for about 31% of<br />
the total market and by TLC applications<br />
for about 69%. Specifically, the TLC market,<br />
mainly focused on mobile communication<br />
and broadband internet access,<br />
shows a mean growth of about 2.1%,<br />
whose higher fraction is given by the private<br />
consumer market at about 62% rather<br />
than by the business one at about 38%.<br />
Although about 77% of the total market<br />
belongs to service providers, the TLC<br />
appliances and equipment turnover market<br />
is very meaningful and one half of it is<br />
given by final user equipment (+5.1%<br />
mobile phones). No mobile cell phones<br />
are manufactured in Italy and <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
mobile communication equipment is<br />
largely appreciated in a relevant market of<br />
44.9 million users of cell phones with 81.9<br />
million of lines contracts.<br />
The other remarkable element of the<br />
current TLC market in Italy is the growth<br />
of internet connections, driven by the<br />
increasing request of broadband services:<br />
2.57 billion connections in 2006 with a<br />
growth of 7.5%. A great success has been<br />
recorded in 2006 by xDSL, 8.2 million<br />
connections in 2006, +26.5% and optical<br />
fiber 320 thousand connections in 2006,<br />
+8%.<br />
Given that the two key features of the<br />
Italian TLC market are represented by<br />
mobile applications and broadband access,<br />
it is very likely that in the next years users<br />
will be more and more interested to mobile<br />
fast internet applications, where the two<br />
markets converge. In this context, WiMax<br />
and WiBro technology could be a very<br />
promising candidate for providing broadband<br />
wireless services even in rural areas,<br />
thus overcoming the Italian digital divide<br />
with very limited infrastructure investments.<br />
A successful test of <strong>Korea</strong>n-<br />
Samsung technology has been carried out<br />
during the last 2006 Torino Olympic<br />
Games, but the technology spread over the<br />
Italian Market is currently delayed by<br />
UMTS Providers, which would like to<br />
compete for the same market.<br />
Among other wireless services, IP-TV<br />
technology is maybe one of the challenges<br />
still open, given that the operators still<br />
reveal some problems in its market penetration.<br />
Despite of the different utilized standards<br />
-- Digital Multimedia Broadcast<br />
(DMB) in <strong>Korea</strong> and Digital Video<br />
Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) in Italy<br />
we argue that the great experience and<br />
advancements of <strong>Korea</strong>n IP-TV technology<br />
could find relevant opportunities by Italian<br />
video signals providers and operators.<br />
The government cooperation between<br />
Italy and <strong>Korea</strong> in the ICT field is relevant<br />
and fruitful: a Memorandum of<br />
Understanding related to bilateral ICT<br />
cooperation has been signed last February<br />
15, 2007 between the <strong>Korea</strong>n Minister of<br />
Information and Communication<br />
Honorable Rho Jun-hyong at an official<br />
visit to Italy in October 2006 and the<br />
Italian Minister of Communications<br />
Honorable Paolo Gentiloni.<br />
The total number of Italian Projects to<br />
the past EU-FP5 Program in the specific<br />
field of user-friendly information society<br />
was 1055, 321 of them with Italian coordination.<br />
A similar figure is in the FP6<br />
from 2002 to 2005, and foreseen in the<br />
ongoing FP7.<br />
The scientific and technological government<br />
cooperation between Italy and<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> has a general frame in the 8th<br />
Protocol of Cooperation Agreement for<br />
the years 2007 to 2009 signed in Rome on<br />
December 1, 2006.<br />
Some active and noteworthy Projects<br />
related to Italy-<strong>Korea</strong> R&D cooperation<br />
in the field of ICT, are:<br />
"Design and implementation of a 2.5<br />
Tbit/s Optical Time Division<br />
Multiplexing (OTDM) system" (SSSA-<br />
Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna,<br />
University of Pisa / Photonic Research<br />
Center, KIST-<strong>Korea</strong> Institute of<br />
Science and Technology, Seoul)<br />
Special Optical Fibers and Devices for<br />
Photonics Applications in<br />
Communications and Sensing,<br />
Department of Information<br />
Engineering, University of Padova /<br />
Institute of Physics and Applied<br />
Physics, Yonsei University, Seoul<br />
Mechanism of reaction between transparent<br />
dielectric and Ag electrode in<br />
plasma display panel using microwave<br />
heating, Material Department,<br />
University of Modena and Reggio<br />
Emilia / Division Of Research Inha<br />
University, Incheon<br />
Design, Realization and Characterization<br />
of Raman and Brillouin based distributed<br />
Fiber Optic Temperature Sensors, SSSA-<br />
Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna University of<br />
Pisa / School of EECS, SNU-Seoul<br />
National University<br />
INFIN<strong>IT</strong>Y: INteroperable wi-FI/wimax<br />
ConNeciv<strong>IT</strong>Y, Electronic Engineering<br />
Department, University of Palermo /<br />
School of EECS , SNU-Seoul National<br />
University<br />
Concerning the private-industrial scenario,<br />
the status of ICT cooperation<br />
between Italy and <strong>Korea</strong> is living a period<br />
of important interchange. Two main<br />
agreements have been recently established:<br />
the first one related to Samsung<br />
Electronics and Telecom Italia and the<br />
second one to Telit Communication and<br />
Bellware m2m.<br />
The first agreement refers to the<br />
WiBro system, owned by Samsung<br />
Electronics, in order to spread it in the<br />
Italian Market through Telecom Italia, the<br />
main national telecommunication<br />
provider. The technology will allow<br />
video calls and video communications<br />
and data transfers with a speed of 20-30<br />
Mbit/sec through wireless mobile<br />
devices.<br />
The second agreement concerns the<br />
acquisition of the <strong>Korea</strong>n Bellware m2m<br />
Co. Ltd. by the Italian Telit<br />
Communication S.pA., which has been<br />
worldwide one of the first companies<br />
having launched products containing<br />
GSM/GPRS and GPS technologies in a<br />
reduced space. Early last 2006 Telit promoted<br />
the worldwide smallest<br />
GSM/GPRS unit, quad-band type.<br />
Bellware m2m Co. Ltd. Is the world leader<br />
in the manufacturing of equipment<br />
based on CDMA technology and devoted<br />
to machine to machine (M2M) communication,<br />
such as mobile phones with TV<br />
systems, cars with satellites, or airplanes<br />
with control towers. The agreement will<br />
enhance the excellence of the two companies<br />
and will certainly generate a new<br />
subject in the M2M market, able to meet<br />
now the demand of the CDMA and GSM<br />
systems, and, in the near future, to catch<br />
the opportunities of the new market of<br />
WCDMA/UMTS technologies.<br />
The Italian Embassy in Seoul considers<br />
ICT technology as a priority in the S&T<br />
cooperation between Italy and <strong>Korea</strong> and<br />
as it refers to this year's events, a bilateral<br />
conference is going to be organized early<br />
this autumn in Seoul on the topic of<br />
Wireless Communication. Distinguished<br />
scientists from Seoul National University,<br />
the University of Palermo and University<br />
of Rome - Tor Vergata will attend the<br />
Conference as lecturers.<br />
8 2 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 8 3
Real-time News<br />
Open Letter from Kim Moon-soo<br />
After Returning from<br />
an Investment Inducement<br />
Presentation in Tokyo<br />
I boarded a plane at 9 am and went to<br />
Tokyo, Japan. We gave a presentation called<br />
Invest in Gyeonggi Province to over 30 semiconductor<br />
and display firms. And then I<br />
boarded a plane at 8 pm to return home.<br />
Because of the tight schedule of a one-day<br />
trip, I woke up early at dawn. I took the airplane,<br />
had my lunch and dinner ready packed<br />
at the New Otani Hotel in Tokyo. I returned<br />
home without taking a step outside.<br />
I am tired, and I have a very heavy heart.<br />
This is because the number of companies<br />
investing in <strong>Korea</strong> has been shrinking. The<br />
starting salary of those newly employed out<br />
of engineering colleges in Japan is about 1.6<br />
million won, pay that is lower than that of<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n counterparts. <strong>Korea</strong> is less advantageous<br />
than Japan, in terms of labor costs. The<br />
land prices, too, have gone up too much, and<br />
they have become similar to Japan's.<br />
The most important cause for this change<br />
is the 30% appreciation of the <strong>Korea</strong>n won in<br />
the past three years and the end of the high<br />
Japanese yen.<br />
In Japan the starting salary of those who<br />
graduated from colleges and universities has<br />
been at a standstill for the past 10 years. On<br />
the contrary, <strong>Korea</strong>'s has been increasing by<br />
about 5% every year. Now, the salary of<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> has become nearly the same as that of<br />
Japan or the wages have even been reversed.<br />
In the last 20 years, Japan has achieved<br />
cost reductions through painstaking efforts. It<br />
has been accomplishing the miracle of having<br />
factories that went abroad return home.<br />
These days, high-rise buildings are newly<br />
built in the city of Tokyo. College and university<br />
graduates get employed well. It is<br />
even reported that it is hard to find men and<br />
women of talent.<br />
With the semiconductor and display<br />
industries at a current state, who can and will<br />
say that they will invest in <strong>Korea</strong>? However<br />
much I think and ask there is no answer.<br />
On my way back, at the waiting lounge of<br />
the Haneda Airport, a young president of a<br />
factory in Ansung recognized me and complained<br />
for some time, saying: "I have a lot I<br />
want to talk with you about." He was the<br />
president of a not so small electronics factory<br />
which employs about 1,000 persons and<br />
achieves total sales of 200 billion won<br />
(US$215 million) per year. He said: "These<br />
days, I am in a situation in which I cannot go<br />
to sleep at night because I cannot operate a<br />
factory in <strong>Korea</strong> at all. As the amount of<br />
facility investment I have made is over 30 billion<br />
won [US$32 million], I cannot close<br />
down the factory right away and go abroad.<br />
Shouldn't the governor help?"<br />
However, there is too little help that a governor<br />
can provide. And the government has<br />
been saying silly things, such as factories cannot<br />
be built in the capital region, and factories<br />
cannot exceed a certain size.<br />
Even when there is not a factory wishing<br />
to be housed, the government has been stopping,<br />
saying: "Don't do it." Is this a case of<br />
anachronism?<br />
How will our children make a living in the<br />
future? Tonight, however much I think, no answer<br />
comes to my mind, and I cannot go to sleep.<br />
At dawn May <br />
Kim Moonsoo<br />
The Provincial Governor<br />
Gyeonggi Province<br />
Samsung Phone<br />
Designed by Jasper<br />
Morrison<br />
Samsung Electronics, a global leader of<br />
mobile phones and telecommunication systems,<br />
and Jasper Morrison, a leading industrial<br />
designer, cooperated to create an attractive<br />
mobile phone, the SGH-E590. The two companies<br />
announced the new product on June 4,<br />
2007. The Samsung E590 is a perfect solution<br />
for users who want to have all of the<br />
advanced multimedia features with eyecatching<br />
design in a hand.<br />
Through the partnership with Jasper<br />
Morrison, well known for his talents in various<br />
areas of industrial design, the E590 is<br />
designed to touch customers' emotions. The<br />
stylish E590 comes in simple contours and<br />
clean lines which comprise this compact bar<br />
design. True to Jasper Morrison's witty<br />
sense, the mobile phone provides dual face;<br />
one side features phone keypad and LCD<br />
screen while the other side is outfitted with<br />
dedicated camera functions.<br />
With the sleek design, E590 is equipped<br />
with a powerful camera functions even other<br />
digital cameras would envy as it allows the<br />
users to enjoy a 3.2 megapixel camera with<br />
auto focus and half shutter. The panorama<br />
shot feature offers an intuitive camera UI<br />
which displays easy to use icons. Moreover,<br />
the E590 comes with the Bean Bag, a unique<br />
tripod which is a truly useful and portable<br />
accessory made of a special rubberized material<br />
for maximum flexibility and grip.<br />
"The SGH-E590 is a very pragmatic work<br />
of art that reflects the synergy between<br />
Samsung and Jasper Morrison. We have<br />
teamed up to satisfy our users with high-performance<br />
technology and emotional design."<br />
says Geesung Choi, President of Samsung's<br />
Telecommunication Network business. He<br />
added: "Through the partnership with<br />
renowned designers, Samsung will strengthen<br />
our design power to bring design excellence<br />
to our customers."<br />
The Samsung E590 is available in two<br />
colors, noble black and snow silver, and will<br />
be launched in Europe, China and South East<br />
Asia in June.<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s Software Exports on Rise<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s software exports increased by 13 percent from US$1.1 billion in 2005 to US$1.3<br />
billion in 2006, the Ministry of Information and Communication said.<br />
The export increase rate slowed down from 43 percent in 2005 to 13 percent last year.<br />
By item, package software exports amounted to US$120 million in 2006, <strong>IT</strong> service<br />
exports US$610 million, and digital contents exports US$620 million. In particular, <strong>IT</strong><br />
exports rose by 27.6 percent last year, thanks to large companies' brisk exports.<br />
On the other hand, the export growth rate of digital content abruptly plunged from 109 percent<br />
in 2005 to just 3 percent in 2006.<br />
By region, software exports to China accounted for the biggest portion of 30.6 percent.<br />
The comparable portion was 27.2 percent for exports to Japan and 21.2 percent for those to<br />
North America.<br />
To accelerate the nation's software exports, the ministry has decided to come out with powerful<br />
measures to strengthen global competitiveness of domestic software companies, the<br />
spokesman said.<br />
Industrial, Academic Display R&D<br />
The government plans to launch a display R&D project where the industrial, academic and<br />
research fields will jointly participate in September.<br />
As part of the government's plan to develop strategic technology, the Ministry of<br />
Commerce, Industry and Energy will pour a total of 400 billion won (US$431 million) into<br />
the joint display R&D project over the coming five years, a ministry spokesman said.<br />
Large enterprises, small companies manufacturing parts and equipment and research centers<br />
of universities will join hands to develop new display technology and utilize the developed<br />
technology later.<br />
Related to this, the ministry projects to launch a model project in September this year and<br />
enter the main project in 2009, the spokesman said.<br />
Overseas Investment Call Center<br />
A call center for overseas investment, established by KOTRA, opened on May 14.<br />
The call center will provide domestic companies seeking overseas investment with<br />
information related to investment in foreign countries free of charge, a KOTRA<br />
spokesman said.<br />
The information that companies can obtain free of charge from the center includes<br />
investment-related documents, explanation about relevant laws and regulations, labor<br />
affair-related information, remittance of foreign currencies, intellectual property rights<br />
and withdrawal of funds.<br />
LG Streamlines PDP Lines<br />
LG Electronics, a major player in the global flat panel display market, announced on May<br />
18th that it will focus production of plasma display modules on its two most advanced A2 and<br />
A3 lines, ceasing production at its older A1 line. This move is to increase operational efficiency<br />
and to reduce costs amounting to US$22 to US$32 million annually.<br />
By closing the A1 line, LG's 42-inch plasma display module production capacity will be reduced<br />
from 430,000 to 360,000 units per month, the discrepancy of which was the A1 line's monthly<br />
capacity of 70,000 units. The company's A2 and A3 lines currently produce 120,000 and 240,000<br />
plasma display modules per month respectively, which sum up to 360,000 units per month.<br />
This is a part of LG's ongoing efforts to improve the performance of its plasma display<br />
panel business as a whole.<br />
Wal-Mart Considers<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s RFID Tech<br />
Wal-Mart is seriously considering introducing<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>'s RFID technology, a director in<br />
charge of RFID at the global company said.<br />
Wal-Mart is now planning to set up mobile<br />
phone or PDA-based mobile RFID-related system<br />
at its sales outlets across the world.<br />
At present, Wal-Mart receives RFID tags<br />
from Alien Technology and Avery Dennison<br />
and gets RFID readers from Alien, Thingmagic,<br />
Printronics and other companies. However, it<br />
has no advanced technology in the mobile sector.<br />
If Wal-Mart selects <strong>Korea</strong>n technology as its<br />
mobile RFID system, it will become a blue ocean<br />
for domestic companies, market watchers said.<br />
Broad Patent Licensing<br />
Agreement<br />
Microsoft and LG Electronics announced<br />
in June that they have entered into a patent<br />
cross-license agreement to further development<br />
of the companies' current and future<br />
product lines. Microsoft has focused on patent<br />
agreements in the recent past to develop a best<br />
practices model for protecting intellectual<br />
property (IP) and respecting IP rights of others<br />
as well as building bridges with an array of<br />
industry leaders, including consumer electronics,<br />
telecommunications and computer hardware<br />
providers.<br />
Through this agreement, LGE will be able<br />
to use Microsoft's patented innovations in its<br />
products, including Linux-based embedded<br />
devices. Microsoft will have access to LGE's<br />
patents and will license other patents developed<br />
by LGE that are now owned by business<br />
solutions provider MicroConnect Group. The<br />
specific financial terms of the agreement are<br />
confidential, but the parties are disclosing that<br />
Microsoft will be making a net balancing payment<br />
to LGE and MicroConnect for operating<br />
system and computer system-related patents.<br />
LGE will be making ongoing payments to<br />
Microsoft for the value of Microsoft patents as<br />
they relate to Linux-based embedded devices<br />
that LGE produces.<br />
8 4 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 8 5
Real-time News<br />
Two-calling System<br />
Implemented at Busan Port<br />
Busan New Port is expected to be vitalized<br />
with Busan Port Authority (BPA) employing a<br />
two-calling system and establishing a barge<br />
transportation service.<br />
Port Commissioners of BPA held a provisional<br />
meeting on May 25th and decided to<br />
implement the Two-calling System.<br />
Under the system, container vessels can<br />
enjoy exemption of anchorage and entrance<br />
fees when they call at both the current Busan<br />
Port and Busan New Port.<br />
The commissioners also acted on introducing<br />
the barge transportation service to link<br />
Busan New Port with the existing Busan Port<br />
on a regular basis.<br />
The two-calling system will be carried out<br />
for 2 years starting from July 1st and the<br />
barge-shuttle service will be operated by the<br />
end of June 2009 after selecting a private<br />
barge operator.<br />
BPA will also cover the loss of the barge<br />
operator when the private operator has operation<br />
loss of carrying 150 ~ 200 container TEU.<br />
With implementing two-calling system, a<br />
5,000TEU container vessel calling at both Busan<br />
New Port and current Busan Port will save<br />
640,000 won (US$690) on port entrance fees<br />
and 340,000 won (US$367) on anchorage fees.<br />
Google CEO Targets <strong>Korea</strong><br />
CEO of Google Eric Schmidt gave a special<br />
speech at the Seoul Digital Forum 2007<br />
Opening Ceremony at Sheraton Grand<br />
Walkerhill Hotel on May 30, 2007. The<br />
forum is under the theme Media Big Bang!<br />
Change the World, and it will be held until the<br />
31st. The Conference includes press conferences,<br />
a mobile content award, and<br />
Hollywood in Seoul.<br />
CEO Eric Schmidit showed his expectations<br />
to enter the <strong>Korea</strong>n market at the introduction<br />
of the keynote speech by saying: "The<br />
reason Google came to <strong>Korea</strong> is because<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> is a fast growing <strong>IT</strong> Industry and challenge<br />
in <strong>Korea</strong> has just begun."<br />
Two New HSDPA Exclusive Phones<br />
SCH-W270<br />
SCH-W290<br />
Samsung Electronics has been strengthening its capture of the 3G market by introducing<br />
High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) phones with diverse designs and<br />
prices aimed at the 3G phone market of <strong>Korea</strong> that is growing quickly.<br />
On May 24, Samsung Electronics announced that it is launching two kinds of<br />
HSDPA exclusive phones with folder and slide designs through SKT and KTF.<br />
The Slim Folder HSDPA Phone (SCH-W270, SPH-W2700) has employed a folder<br />
design with the thickness of 11.9 mm, which is the thinnest among the HSDPA phones<br />
put on the market until now in <strong>Korea</strong>.<br />
A minimalist design has been completed by employing an integral keypad with luxurious<br />
hairlines in the compact, straight line-type folder. By using a big liquid crystal display<br />
of the size of 2.3 inches, the phone can be conveniently used for video phone conversations.<br />
The phone supports global automatic roaming not only in Wideband Code Division<br />
Multiple Access (WCDMA) regions but also in Global System for Mobile communication<br />
(GSM) regions. Not only that, it has loaded onto it diverse functions including a 1.3<br />
million pixel rotating camera, an MP3, a mobile disk, and an electronic dictionary. The<br />
phone comes in white and black, and the price is a little over 450,000 won (US$485.00).<br />
The Compact HSDPA Phone (SCH-W290, SPH-W2900), being launched together, is<br />
an HSDPA phone with a sophisticated sliding design with nice-looking shiny silver<br />
chrome rims.<br />
It has loaded onto it such functions as a 1.3 million-pixel camera, an MP3, portable<br />
printer support and external memory. The phone comes in the colors of noble black,<br />
magic silver and scarlet red. The price is a little higher than 400,000 won (US$431).<br />
Especially, both products support the Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM)<br />
Card, which stores financial information inside the terminal. Hence, the mobile phones<br />
can be used as transportation cards.<br />
Also, both support Bluetooth. Therefore, video phone conversation is possible without<br />
holding the phone. They are convenient as they support the multi-tasking that can<br />
perform diverse functions while being engaged in video phone conversations.<br />
An executive at Samsung Electronics said: "Through the launch of diverse HSDPA<br />
phones, the desires of consumers who want many functions will be satisfied. In the<br />
future, too, we will introduce products with diverse functions and designs that suit the<br />
growth of the 3G market."<br />
It is forecast that the 3G market of <strong>Korea</strong> will be invigorated through the launch of<br />
HSDPA phones at diverse price ranges and with diverse designs.<br />
Il Ponte Salutes Cuisine of<br />
Southern Italy<br />
Il Ponte, Millennium Seoul<br />
Hilton's popular Italian trattoria,<br />
will host a two week-long<br />
promotion celebrating the cuisine<br />
of Southern Italy. From<br />
June 15th to the 30th, you'll be<br />
able to choose from a special<br />
menu of Southern Italian<br />
delights, in addition to Il<br />
Ponte's always-popular menu.<br />
Chef Anita Bidini has chosen<br />
representative dishes from<br />
six regions in South Italy.<br />
From the Sicilian region, a<br />
deep fried risotta with beef and<br />
green peas sauce will be<br />
served with seasonal lettuce.<br />
From Abruzzo, Chef Bidini<br />
has chosen grilled smoked<br />
mozzarella served with roast<br />
capsicum. Homemade tagliolini<br />
with little spicy prosciutto<br />
and onion sauce hails from<br />
Molise, while bucatini with<br />
snails in a spicy tomato sauce<br />
comes from the Calabria<br />
region. From Campania, panfried<br />
sea bream with black<br />
olives, capers, pine seeds and<br />
raisins will be served in a<br />
tomato sauce. And last but not<br />
least, a veal escalope top with<br />
prosciutto and sage in a white<br />
wine sauce will represent<br />
Lazio.<br />
The southern regions of Italy are characterized by a rocky and mountainous terrain,<br />
hot climate, and peasant-like life. Southerners are passionate and friendly, and love to<br />
eat. Taking advantage of local vegetables and nearby access to fruits of the sea, southern<br />
Italian food is full of variety, passion, and gusto, just like the locals are.<br />
While each region has its own culinary personalities, the common bond is the high<br />
caliber of Italian cuisine offered. With just one trip to Il Ponte during these two weeks,<br />
you'll be able to complete a gastronomic journey to Italy's southern best!<br />
Il Ponte features the finest Italian cuisine from tempting pasta and wood-fired brick<br />
oven pizza to mouth watering regional dishes. The restaurant also has an extensive<br />
choice of exquisite Italian and international wines.<br />
Busan North Port Plans<br />
to Dredge<br />
Busan Port Authority (BPA) released a<br />
final result of a feasibility study on dredging<br />
on June 1, 2007 with more than 50 people<br />
from port and logistics industries participating.<br />
The study was conducted by a research center<br />
of port and logistics at Bukyoung National<br />
University since December, 2006.<br />
According to the result, with the consideration<br />
of technical and economic feasibility<br />
analysis, berths No 3 and 4 of Shinsundae<br />
Container Terminal operated by Pusan East<br />
Container Terminal(PECT) and berth No. 4<br />
of Gamman Container Terminal operated by<br />
<strong>Korea</strong> Express and Hutchison Container<br />
Terminal jointly should be dredged first.<br />
Because more than 88% of over 70,000<br />
tons of container ships calling at Busan Port<br />
anchor at both Shinsundae Container<br />
Terminal and Gamman Container Terminal.<br />
The dredging is expected to cost 28.5 billion<br />
won (US$30.7 million) and the study said<br />
that the dredging has economic feasibility if<br />
the Shinsundae Container Terminal attracts<br />
more than 50,000TEU, 5% growth per year<br />
and Gamman Container Terminal lures<br />
22,000TEU, 2% increase annually when the<br />
dredging is completed.<br />
Other container terminals such as<br />
Shingamman operated by Dong Boo<br />
Construction and Evergreen jointly and<br />
Jasungdae operated by Hutchison Container<br />
Terminal are also required to be deeper to<br />
accommodate Ultra Large Container Vessels.<br />
The study revealed, however, dredging at<br />
other container terminals needs a huge budget<br />
and it should be conducted later considering<br />
the possibility of cargo attraction and financial<br />
feasibility analysis.<br />
The cost for dredging will be covered by<br />
BPA and terminal operators partially based on<br />
benefit theory.<br />
The biggest container vessel calling at<br />
Busan port was a 9,600 container TEU vessel<br />
and in order to accommodate more than<br />
10,000 container TEU vessels, over 16m of<br />
water depth should be secured at Busan Port.<br />
8 6 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 8 7
Real-time News<br />
Record Storage<br />
Capacity Memory<br />
Card for Mobiles<br />
8GB microSD chips<br />
Samsung Electronics announced on May 17<br />
that it has developed an 8Gigabyte (GB) microSD<br />
(Secure Digital) memory card, a size optimal for<br />
today's multimedia mobile phones. Featuring the<br />
highest capacity today for a microSD card, the<br />
new fingernail-sized card is capable of storing<br />
2,000 MP3 music files, 4,000 digital photos, or<br />
approximately 5 DVD-quality movies.<br />
SD cards, to date, have been largely used for<br />
data storage in digital still cameras and increasingly<br />
in televisions. MicroSD cards, which are a<br />
quarter the size of an SD card, are backward<br />
compatible with SD cards using an extender, to<br />
allow multimedia files downloaded by mobile<br />
phones to be easily displayed on other media.<br />
With a read speed of 16 Megabytes (MBs) per<br />
second and a write speed of 6MB/s, Samsung's<br />
8GB microSD card well exceeds the Speed Class<br />
4 SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) standard<br />
which requires a data write speed of 4MB/s. This<br />
is also much faster than the SD Speed Class 2 designation<br />
carried by most competing microSD<br />
cards currently on the market.<br />
This achievement is the latest in a string of<br />
record-breaking improvements in flash memory<br />
cards for Samsung as it continues to aggressively<br />
pursue its goal of being the development leader<br />
for the SD card market, and the competing<br />
MMC (multimedia card) market.<br />
The market research firm Dataquest predicts<br />
that the memory card market as a whole will<br />
average 10 percent annual growth between 2006<br />
and 2010, while demand for high density 8GB<br />
cards will grow an average of 2.6 times per year<br />
over the same period. By 2010, the 8GB memory<br />
card will be the market mainstream in terms<br />
of units sold.<br />
DMB International Symposium in Seoul<br />
Tape-cutting ceremony at DMB international symposium<br />
Eighteen different countries joined the event and the total number of participants<br />
added up to 200.<br />
This particular symposium was a global hot spot because Digital Multimedia<br />
Broadcasting was recently chosen by the International Telecommunication Union to be<br />
an international standard.<br />
DMB usage countries like Germany, China and <strong>Korea</strong> and testing countries like Italy and<br />
Indonesia introduced the present condition of DMB promotion, new business models, and<br />
their visions of technology development at this symposium. This helped the attendees to be<br />
inspired for a new innovative ideas, and to take the next step to globalization.<br />
60th Anniversary of Central Radio<br />
Management Office<br />
The Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) Central Radio Management<br />
Office (CRMO) will host a 60th anniversary ceremony at two o'clock in the afternoon on June<br />
1 at the front square of CRMO with the minister Rho Joon-hyung as a special guest.<br />
On 1947 June 1 is the day the post office first started radio wave monitoring at the special<br />
duty department in a small room in a corner. Ever since then, they have been celebrating the<br />
Radio Wave Remembrance Day. Since this year is the 60th anniversary, 300 relating persons<br />
will attend the ceremony to take a look back at the past and honor the progress that has been<br />
made so far and make a new resolution for the future.<br />
"The u-<strong>IT</strong>839 strategy is led by the industry that uses radio waves," Minister Rho Joonhyung<br />
continued at the congratulatory speech. "We ask CRMO to continue to complete its<br />
role as a guard to the radio waves to strengthen the <strong>IT</strong> strategy providing ability, and to<br />
upgrade the quality of radio wave service for the great citizens."<br />
The ceremony will involve showing a video that shows the origin of the ICE, honor the<br />
contributors and exhibition of historical documents.<br />
The Radio Wave High Monitoring System is a solution to manage high frequency waves,<br />
broadband, and digital signals efficiently for DTV, DMB, and Mobile phones. The system is<br />
expected to be finished in 2008. Once this system is completed, it is expected that this will<br />
improve the radio wave controlling job a great deal by investigating frequency usage and discovering<br />
remaining or leftover frequencies.<br />
Helping Companies Launch Overseas<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n <strong>IT</strong> companies and communication firms will visit Sprint Nextel, one of the<br />
leading communication service providers in the US, on May 21. In a joint meeting with<br />
<strong>IT</strong> and communication companies, they plan to talk with Sprint's engineers and purchasing<br />
personnel.<br />
This occasion is made by the <strong>Korea</strong>n government in a program to help small and<br />
medium sized <strong>Korea</strong>n <strong>IT</strong> and communication sectors enter US markets.<br />
KT and SK Telecom will join the program to bridge the gap between small and medium<br />
sized companies and overseas markets.<br />
The meeting consists of mutual cooperation presentations by the visitors and of individual<br />
talks with Sprint on purchasing.<br />
The Ministry of Information and Technology will continue to help small and medium<br />
sized companies have chances to talk with larger overseas companies.<br />
Conference to Explain New Restrictive ID Policy<br />
The Ministry of Information and Communication will conduct a policy explanation<br />
conference on the 16th at Hyochang Park to discuss about the restrictive<br />
self identification policy with 62 main public organizations. The new restrictive<br />
identification policy requires all web site users of web sites in <strong>Korea</strong> to identify<br />
themselves with their real name when they post comments online. The policy<br />
will be enforced from July 27.<br />
The conference will feature the Restrictive Self Identification Guide Book<br />
that answers the questions that the information communication service providers<br />
and public organizations have been asking. The guide book will explain general<br />
facts such as how to use a comment board and questions relating to procedures.<br />
The MIC will finish the guide book by end of this month and pass them out and<br />
distribute them through their website, mic.go.kr. Also, to minimize the confusion<br />
of users, MIC will advertise and start testing the policy with main portals<br />
from June.<br />
Here is a glimpse of what the Guide Book will contain:<br />
Q: Do we have to identify ourselves every time we post information on a<br />
board?<br />
A: That depends on service providers. Generally, the log-in process takes care of<br />
identification and you should be able to use the site without additional processes.<br />
Q: Would we have to identify ourselves to just simply read the information<br />
that is posted?<br />
A: You don't have to identify yourself to read information. It's only for those who<br />
post information on the board.<br />
Q: Replies or one-line comments are also on target?<br />
A: Yes, one line comments on the reply board are considered as board service.<br />
Thus, the policy applies.<br />
MIC, Australia to Set<br />
Up VoIP Guideline<br />
The Ministry of<br />
Information and<br />
Communication and its<br />
NEWS Australian counterpart<br />
agreed on May 9 to set up a<br />
VoIP guideline. The guideline is to protect both<br />
private users and businesses from the possible<br />
leaking of information they send while using<br />
VoIP services between the two countries. VoIP<br />
is a new internet voice phone service using internet<br />
protocol.<br />
The agreement came out because the two<br />
countries shared the mutual understandings on<br />
the security weakness of VoIP even though<br />
VoIP service is to be vitalized. Australia had<br />
suggested its idea to make a guideline at APEC<br />
TEL 33rd Conference in April last year. The<br />
two countries worked together for a year to<br />
reach the agreement.<br />
The agreement includes that the two sides<br />
will analyze security threats in VoIP services<br />
and open a website for three years to share their<br />
study results and products.<br />
Smart Solution to<br />
Stop Sexual Content<br />
Sexual content, content that invades privacy<br />
and illegal content such as mp3s and video<br />
have been banned from being searched by keyword<br />
until now. The Ministry of Information<br />
and Communication has found a better way to<br />
kill them all. Now with the Multimedia<br />
Content Sorting System, any sexual content<br />
will automatically be terminated from the general<br />
portals. This is good news for parents who<br />
have been getting nervous monitoring their<br />
children's computer activities.<br />
The MIC supported the Electronics<br />
Telecommunications Research Institute<br />
(ETRI) to create the Multimedia Content<br />
Sorting System. This particular system detects<br />
any silhouette of a body line or private body<br />
parts and MP3 content with 99% accuracy.<br />
The MIC is eagerly focusing on Digital Rights<br />
Management until 2009 to protect content and<br />
complete content distribution technology.<br />
8 8 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 8 9
News Briefs<br />
Parade of Nations<br />
Yolanda F. de Ungo, spouse of Ambassador of El Salvador, Doyenne of<br />
the Diplomatic Community (second from right) poses with participants of<br />
the Parade of Nations 2007<br />
"Since its inception in 2005, the Parade of Nations has been<br />
a beneficial event that proves that charity knows no bounds,"<br />
said Prime Minister Han of the Republic of <strong>Korea</strong>.<br />
The 3rd consecutive Parade of Nations Diplomatic<br />
Community Charity event, held on May 15, 2007 at Grand<br />
Hyatt Seoul, offered something very special, with a unique<br />
presentation of the multi cultural experience. This year, the<br />
main theme was Global Dancing and Music from all over the<br />
world, with dance groups performing <strong>Korea</strong>n, African, Indian,<br />
Latin American, Middle Eastern and Russian dances. Prime<br />
Minister Han Duk-soo said: "Since its inception in 2005, the<br />
Parade of Nations has been a beneficial event that proves that<br />
charity knows no bounds."<br />
Italy National Day<br />
Italy Ambassador Massimo Andrea Leggeri (third from left) poses with<br />
prize winners for their services regarding bilateral relations<br />
On the occasion of the Italian National Day 2007, the<br />
Ambassador of Italy Massimo Andrea Leggeri held a<br />
commemorating reception on June 4th 2007 at his residence,<br />
Hannam-dong, Seoul. Scores of companies sponsored the<br />
reception including Samsung Heavy Industries, Bersano,<br />
Bellenda, Zaccagnini and the Seoul Diplomatic Corps and<br />
Italians in <strong>Korea</strong> shared the pleasure of the Italian National Day<br />
among the fragrance of early summer in Hannam-dong residence<br />
near the Han River where reception participants can most well<br />
see the beautiful Han River scenery. Ambassador Leggeri<br />
conferred a decoration on some <strong>Korea</strong>ns who contributed to<br />
bilateral relations in the fields of wine import and construction.<br />
Well-shaded Garden Reception<br />
On the occasion<br />
of the Election of<br />
His Holiness Pope<br />
Benefict XVI on<br />
April 19, His<br />
Excellency<br />
Archibishop Emil<br />
Paul Tscherrig of<br />
the Holy See<br />
Embassy in Seoul<br />
feted a well-shaded<br />
garden party at his<br />
residence, Gungjeong-dong, Seoul on May 23, 2007. Former<br />
and current archbishops in <strong>Korea</strong> were on hand and from the<br />
Seoul diplomatic corps Turkish Ambassador Deniz Oezmen,<br />
Hungarian Ambassador Dr. Istvan Torzsa, and Greek<br />
Ambassador Constantin Drakakis came to the party.<br />
Europe Day Reception<br />
His Excellency Archibishop Emil Paul<br />
Tscherrig of the Holy See Embassy in Seoul<br />
(center) holds a commemorating function for<br />
The Election of His Holiness Pope Benefict XVI<br />
EU envoy Brian McDonald smiles on the occasion of<br />
the Europe Day with the Seoul Diplomatic corps<br />
Germany Ambassador Dr. Norbert Baas (second from right) poses with Slovak<br />
Ambassador Pavel Hrmo couple on the occasion of the EU Film Festival<br />
"Over the years it has evolved to be much more than a simple<br />
trading bloc coordinating members' trade policy and setting common<br />
tariffs," said EU envoy Brian McDonald.<br />
The Europe Day reception, hosted by the Delegation of the<br />
European Commission on May 9 at Lotte Hotel Seoul, was a<br />
good opportunity to be able to confirm how current Europe integration<br />
brought about prosperity over the last 50 years. Over the<br />
years it has evolved to be much more than a simple trading bloc<br />
coordinating members' trade policy and setting common tariffs.<br />
Today the European Union is a political and economic project<br />
bringing together 27 European countries and over 490 million<br />
people. Separately from it, the EU Film Festival was held in<br />
Seoul at the end of May to introduce diverse EU countries' film to<br />
the <strong>Korea</strong>n public.<br />
Scholarships Recognize Extraordinary<br />
Chevening Scholarships Awarding Ceremony<br />
"Chevening Scholarships provide young people from all<br />
around the world with the opportunity to study for postgraduate<br />
qualifications in the United Kingdom," said England<br />
Ambassador Warwick Morris.<br />
For over 20 years England's Chevening Scholarships have<br />
provided young people from all around the world with the<br />
opportunity to study for postgraduate qualifications in the United<br />
Kingdom. In <strong>Korea</strong> this year too, Warwick Morris, Her<br />
Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of <strong>Korea</strong>, held a<br />
ceremony to confer scholarships on exceptional <strong>Korea</strong>n students<br />
on May 16 at his residence, Jungdong, Seoul.<br />
Visit from Royalty<br />
"Your country is today among the world's leading economic<br />
powers," said His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon.<br />
On the occasion of the Official Visit of Their Royal<br />
Highnesses Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-<br />
Marit to the Republic of <strong>Korea</strong>,<br />
the Royal Norwegian Embassy<br />
in Seoul organized a variety of<br />
events including the <strong>Korea</strong>-<br />
Norway Business Summit<br />
Seminar, ICT Seminar, new and<br />
renewable energy seminar, LNG<br />
Seminar, tourism seminar plus<br />
concert and dinner on May 9 at<br />
Grand Hyatt Seoul.<br />
Their Royal Highnesses<br />
Crown Prince Haakon and<br />
Crown Princess Mette-Marit<br />
"Your country is today among the world's leading economic<br />
powers, and has become Norways third largest trading partner in<br />
Asia," said HRH Crown Prince Haakon during a dinner in Prime<br />
Minister Han Duck-soo's residence. The statement was one of<br />
many during HRH Crown Prince Haakon and HRH Crown<br />
Princess Mette-Marits visit to <strong>Korea</strong> that underlined the important<br />
economic cooperation between Norway and <strong>Korea</strong>.<br />
Annual <strong>Korea</strong>-Germany Association General Meeting<br />
Germany envoy Dr. Norbert Baas couple (fifth from right) pose with<br />
participants of the <strong>Korea</strong>-Germany Association annual general meeting<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>-Germany Association (<strong>Korea</strong>nish-Deutsche<br />
Gesellschaft) held its annual garden picnic and general meeting<br />
on May 13 at the garden of the Greencross company, located in<br />
Yongin, Kyunggi Province. Germany Ambassador Dr. Norbert<br />
Baas and Mrs. Dr. Annabel Von Arnim-Baas were on hand plus<br />
BMW <strong>Korea</strong> president Kim Hyo-joon.<br />
State Visit of His Excellency Enkhbayar Nambar,<br />
President of Mongolia<br />
On the occasion of the State Visit of His Excellency<br />
Enkhbayar Nambar, President of Mongolia and Mrs. Tsolmon<br />
Onon, <strong>Korea</strong>'s four economic bodies such as K<strong>IT</strong>A, FKI, and<br />
Korcham held a welcoming luncheon on May 29 at Lotte Hotel<br />
Seoul. Besides this luncheon, the Ambassador of Mongolia to<br />
the Republic of <strong>Korea</strong> & Mrs. Batnasan Vandan held a reception<br />
in the evening the same day for Mongolians living in <strong>Korea</strong> on<br />
the occasion of the President's official visit to <strong>Korea</strong>.<br />
Wines of Argentina First Grand Tasting in Seoul<br />
Argentina Ambassador Alfredo A. Alcorta (left) poses with wine<br />
salesmen from Argentina on the occasion of the Wines of Argentina<br />
First Grand Tasting in Seoul<br />
The Wines of Argentina First Grand Tasting in Seoul was held<br />
from 16:00 through 21:00 on June 4th at Seoul Grand Hyatt.<br />
Twenty-three Argentina wineries showed off a total of 250 wines to<br />
wine business circles and experts including wine lovers.<br />
Ambassador Alfredo A. Alcorta said: "Accompanied seminar<br />
helped participants understand about the feature of Argentina wine<br />
plantation, and newly-emerging brewing area's climate<br />
circumstance and diverse wine grades."<br />
9 0 _ June 2007 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES<br />
KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES June 2007 _ 9 1