Significance of Attracting UN Body, APCICT National support required, says Dr. Eugene Jun, President of the Incheon IT Promotion Agency The 61st UN ESCAP Annual General Assembly, held in Bangkok, Thailand May 18, passed a resolution to establish the UN ESCAP information telecommunication development center (APCICT), an IT special education training development institution as an affiliated organization of this council, in Songdo within Incheon Free Economic Zone (FEZ). Korea is the 10th largest financial contributor to the UN. Yet, this is the first time to date that Korea has attracted a major UN affiliate organization. In comparison with our share of funding the number of Koreans who serve as secretariat employees in UN organizations is very small. The effort to attract APCICT began on the initiative of ESCAP executive secretary Kim Hak-su, but the project encountered a whole raft of difficulties since several member countries such as Japan and India opposed to the establishment of an international organization in Korea. However, thanks to Korean IT capability, MOFAT (Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade), MIC (Ministry of Information and Communication), and the Metropolitan City of Incheon succeeded in luring APCICT to Incheon through their combined efforts. Japan gave its approval to the plan on condition that UN ESCAP undertake a review of the Center's continued existence after 5 year's operation. APCICT provides ESCAP members as well as Asia Pacific associate member countries with IT education training free of charge for the purpose of facilitating informatization within the region, resolve the problem of the "digital divide", spur the construction of information networks as well as information exchange. To maximize the performance of APCICT that we have lured with difficultly, I believe that systematic preparations are necessary. First, as a national project the agencies concerned must demonstrate their total interest and support. During the Seoul Digital Forum, held late May in Seoul, President Roh Moo-hyun also said the Government of Korea will exert itself to allow peoples around the world to enjoy the benefits of informatization and as its first step, will provide them with the opportunity for informatization education by establishing APCICT in Songdo, Incheon. Accordingly, the performance of APCICT will be a cardinal barometer to assess the impact of Korean IT ability in international society and Korean influence at the UN. It will also be the touchstone for attracting subsequent UN organizations to Korea. Second, must maintain its leadership in the IT field. With the attraction of APCICT Korea has established its international competitiveness paved in the ICT field. The location of the APCICT is likely to produce a whole raft of indirect effects due to the fact it will be a center of expertise in the IT area dedicated to turning out top flight personnel in this all important area. At the same time, Korea should make efforts to take the initiative on international technology standardization in IT field via educational projects. To assume leadership of IT technology standardization is absolutely necessary to gain market advantage on the basis of developed technology. On the basis of Korea's advanced IT infrastructure and new services, the country should strive to take the lead in technology standardization and price competitiveness. Third, efforts must be made to maximize the potential synergy effects between the APCICT and the wider Incheon Free Economic Zone. Now that APCICT will locate in the Songdo Free Economic Zone, the educational center's establishment will provide the 62 ESCAP member as well as associate member countries with the opportunity to access the potential of the Songdo Free Economic Zone. Moreover, participation countries could be enticed to construct IT R&D centers in Songdo. Because the major portion of the trainees will be government officials and experts they will eventually assume the roles of policy makers after returning to their home countries once they complete their education in Korea. The government has designated Songdo as part of the Incheon Free Economic Zone in late 2003 in order to build a gateway city to Northeast Asia in order to surpass Shanghai, Pudong, Hong Kong and Singapore. Accordingly, we should make the most of the decision to relocated the UN agency to attract multinational corporations as well as other forms of foreign capital into the Songdo part of the Free Economic Zone and I believe that its effective operation as well as cautious strategy for its preparation are necessary. In conclusion, I believe that APCIC will serve as an ideal chance to establish Korea as a world-class IT leader by allowing the continuous development of new IT technology and products.