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Yang Seung-taek, chairman of the Organizing Committee of Busan ITU, stressed that the effect of holding ITU Telecom Asia 2004 would be, first of all, to promote Busan city's strength to the world such fields as IT, logistics, logistics automation and shipbuilding.
He further said, "ITU Telecom Asia 2004 will provide momentum for Busan IT corporations to become more aware of the world market". Specifically, he emphasized, "The event will become an opportunity for Busan IT business people to look at the entire world beyond Seoul," adding that they are being intimidated by Seoul's dominance.
Mr. Yang said that there are many corporations in Busan that approach world level in their respective fields. He pointed out that Busan corporations should certainly incorporate IT into their operations to boost competitiveness and that they need look no further than ITU Telecom Asia 2004 for inspiration. To ensure the success of the exhibition, Mr. Yang begged the active cooperation of the citizens of Busan.
As part of the program to publicize the event, the Organizing Committee will hold a 'fun run' on August 22, plus advertise on TV and in national newspapers. It is also working in close cooperation with the police as well as the National Intelligence Service to combat the threat of terror.
Some 17 ministers of information and communication will attend ITU ASIA 2004 and Mr. Yang is confident the event will bring together a wide range of leading industry participants in addition to highlevel representatives from government and regulators. He added that the Forum to be held concurrently will feature top caliber speakers and participants, and promises a series of industry-critical debates.
As always, the world's leading telecommunications companies will attend ITU Telecom Asia 2004 including domestic giants Samsung Electronics, SK Telecom and KT plus Qualcomm, Lucent Technologies, Siemens and NCC DoCoMo from overseas. The exhibitor profile includes telecommunications operators, gear manufacturers, suppliers of network equipment, and software service providers promoting the latest Internet technologies, will be among the regular mix of participants at the event, said Mr. Yang. Moreover, ITU Telecom Asia 2004 will cover the total breadth of the industry and include the categories of mobile, satellite, Internet, media, fixed-line and broadband.
The Forum also, with its respected roster of business leaders, technology visionaries, communications ministers, regulatory authorities, academics and keynote speakers is expected to provide vision and inspiration for the future direction of the industry in Asia. Mr. Yang noted that among the themes to be discussed are: creating successful business models, partnerships and alliances, new technologies and services in addition to many others.
Through holding ITU Telecom Asia 2004, there is a strong possibility that Busan might undergo an IT revival, Mr. Yang said. Furthermore, he indicated that Busan must become a major destination for foreign direct investment (FDI). He regretted that there are not enough large corporations in Busan to demonstrate Korea's IT strengths compared with surrounding competitor nations.
Mr. Yang concluded the interview with Korea IT Times by remarking that he believes firmly that Busan has the potential to become a gateway to Asia comparable with Singapore or Hong Kong.
