Park Ki-han Vice President of TU Media

Huge Effect on Manufacturing Industries Projected TU Media, a satellite DMB service provider of SK Telecom, will begin its commercial service in May this year. Korea IT Times interviewed Park Ki-han, Vice President of TU Media, on the outlook for DMB services and what his company can offer. The following are excerpts from the interview. Q: Digital Multimedia Broadcasting, or DMB for short, is certain to become a hot topic for the IT industry in 2005. In relation to this, what preparations has your company made so far, and how do you plan to take a leading role in this field A: As a satellite DMB service provider, we are doing our utmost to provide quality mobile broadcasting services. Through our world-class mobile broadcasting services, we are committed to contributing to the development of the nation broadcasting industry and playing a leading role in the world market. As we are fully aware of the responsibilities associated with broadcasting for the public, and we plan to fully abide by the rules and regulations outlined in the Broadcasting Law. Q: What are the business prospects for DMB operations in the domestic market What hardware products and services does your company plan to develop A: The year 2005 will be a watershed for the nation DMB services, a crucial period wherein the successful formation of the market at the initial stages will determine the fate of a business. According to a recent forecast by the Electronics and Telecommunications Institute (ETRI), the ground wave DMB services, to be served free of charge, is expected to outweigh the satellite DMB market. Against this backdrop, we plan to promote various kinds of DMB terminals to the market to put in place the specialized services that can only be found via satellite DMB. Q: What effects will the launching of DMB services have on the national IT industry and people in general A: Satellite DMB operations will have huge invigorating effect on related industries, not only manufacturers of DMB displayers, G/F, and broadcasting devices but also small and medium-sized parts manufacturers. According to research by the Korean Society for Journalism and Communication Studies (August 2003), the satellite DMB industry is expected to have pervasive economic effects on both the manufacturing and value-added industries that could amount to 9 trillion won and 6.3 trillion won, respectively, for the next 10 years. In the next five years, TU Media plans to invest a total of 705.2 billion won in support of our DMB operations. This includes a 442-billion won investment for the production and delivery of broadcasting programs, some 256 billion won for developing new contents suited to satellite DMB services, and 7 billion won in support of the video broadcasting industry including the building of a media center for our customers. Q: What are business prospects for DMB operations home and abroad A: At present, many companies around the world are prepared to move into the DMB business, fixing their eyes on companies like ours with keen interest. Particularly, they are trying hard to enter into the Chinese DMB market ahead of the Beijing Olympics in 2008. As for the domestic market, TU Media has set a goal of attracting 6,590,000 subscribers by 2010. Q: What is your company business goal for the year 2005 and onward A: For the year 2005, we have set a goal of winning about 600,000 subscribers. In order to achieve this, we plan to develop various kinds of DMB displayers in close consultation with manufacturers and engage in multi-faceted marketing activities. Currently, we are on our way to develop various broadcasting services, including value-added products that meet different user surroundings.