Interview with Dr. Byeon Ok-hwan The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has been actively pushing ahead with the construction of the Global Ring Network for International Advanced Application Development (GLORIAD), according to a senior official of the basic study bureau of the ministry. GLORIAD is a high-performance research network used to connect scientific organizations in the United States, Russia, China, Canada, the Netherlands and Korea. Jointly established by the six countries, it enables the scientific community to move unprecedented volumes of valuable data at 10-gigabits per second (Gbps). In August 2005, the government opened a 10 giga-class GLORIAD network, providing a global research environment for its part for joint international studies of such future-oriented scientific fields as nuclear fusion energy and bioscience. The government plans to expand the capacity of the GLORIAD network to a 40 giga-class one in January 2008. After considering the degree of use of the network, the government aims at attaining the 100- 200 giga-class GLORIAD network in the future on a gradual basis, Director Kim Chang-woo, Basic Research Support Division, MOST, said. The global village in which we are living has many pan-global problems such as various diseases, starvation, insufficient energy and worsening environment. As no single country can solve these issues, the entire world s people, especially scientists and technicians, should work together to settle such global problems. For example, Korea, the United States, Japan, Russia and EU have been jointly pushing for the nuclear fusion energy development project, called the ITER, for the development of limitless clean energy sources. To effectively propel such joint study projects, an international study network such as the GLORIAD is indispensable. Recognizing the importance of such projects, the ministry revised the basic law concerning science technology in 2004. It also mapped out a plan to accelerate informatization of science technology and has implemented the plan. Based on Clause 2 of the Article 26 of the Science Technology Basic Law, the ministry has been supporting projects to build and operate knowledge and information networks related to science technology. It also established concrete plans to accelerate informatization of science technology based on Article 6 and the relevant Decree 3 of the Basic Law to Accelerate Informatization. Along with this, the ministry plans to spend about 36 billion won from the state budget in 2005 for construction of advanced research development climates, including national research network, e-Science, and bio-informatics. Meanwhile, for the project to build an R&D hub of Northeast Asia now being actively propelled by the government, not only the government but also local autonomous bodies and enterprises are making best efforts to attract top-class foreign R&D centers to Korea. Last May, the government established a council of institutions in charge of attracting foreign R&D centers under the science technology innovation headquarters. The council integrates all projects to attract overseas R&D centers propelled by relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Science and Technology, and propels the projects intensively in an effective means. It aims to attract more than 13 foreign R&D centers in Korea this year. Last year, the ministry spent some 30 billion won in budgets for projects to create basis for an R&D hub of Northeast Asia and globalization. Through the GLORIAD project, the government aims to achieve the Northeast R&D hub construction project at the earliest date possible.