Interview with Eun-hee Kwon, Lawmaker and Member of Knowledge Economy Committee
Interview with Eun-hee Kwon, Lawmaker and Member of Knowledge Economy Committee
  • Shin Ji-hye (info@koreaittimes.com)
  • 승인 2012.11.17 00:33
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Eun-hee Kwon, a lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri Party, and a member of Knowledge Economy Committee

SEOUL, KOREA – Over the past few decades, the Information Technology industry left the Korean economy in good shape until the current administration’s reorganization of government setups, which led to the abolition of the Ministry of Information and Communication in 2008.


Since then, its functions have been divided into various sectors and ministries, raising concerns about the inefficiency among ICT specialists, businesses, as well as academics. Korea IT Times conducted an interview with Eun-hee Kwon, a lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri Party, and a member of Knowledge Economy Committee to gain an understanding as to what direction the next administration should move to boost the ICT industry, leading up to the presidential election this December.

Q. You worked in the ICT industry over the course of a decade prior to becoming a member of the National Assembly. What do you think is most needed for the industry to increase its competitiveness

ICT industry has played an essential part in the growth of the Korean economy for the past years, now accounting for 30% of total exports. Most of them are hardware-based companies such as cell phones or semiconductor. However, the focus of the global ICT industry is now shifting to software companies such as Google and Apple, and the Korean software sector is still vulnerable. Google’s acquisition of Motorola has verified the recent position of software companies in the ICT eco-system. In order for the industry to strengthen competitiveness, the development of the software sector should go hand in hand with hardware.

Q. Then, how can the country shift its emphasis from hardware-based to software-based

For the last few decades, Korean companies have relied heavily on software from global companies rather than domestic software developers, and have not properly rewarded them, creating a vicious cycle. To boost the software industry, joint cooperation among the government, private sector and users is necessary. The government should expand R&D for original and application technology, guarantee a fair business climate where small startups can be properly rewarded for their hard work, and strengthen a crackdown on piracy. The private sector should also make more technology investment, as well as give better treatment to software developers; Lastly, it is essential for users to buy software at the right price and legitimate software to help grow the software market.

 

Q. Your remark on the set-up of the Ministry taking full charge of ICT garnered the industry’s attention. Can you give us more details

With the importance of the ICT towards economic growth re-emerging, the need for an overall review of the current government’s ICT policy arose. I have proposed the set-up of the tentatively named “Ministry of Information, Media and Innovation”, exclusively responsible for the development of ICT industry. This will help to grow not only ICT infrastructure, but also content and software sector where youth can demonstrate their creativity to a larger extent. After all, the growth of ICT industry will help to improve the overall efficiency of society, create employment, as well as spur economic growth.

Q. ICT convergence seems increasingly important in this Smart era.

Yes. Convergence of different industries can strengthen business competitiveness and give customers opportunities for using new services. K-Pop and Gangnam Style are perfect examples of successful IT and entertainment industries. ICT flashed out based on innovative ideas can be applied for various industries to improve their efficiency and productivity. More to the point, it is important to make continuous investment in improving technical capabilities that can back up these ideas.

Q. Any plan on legal and institutional improvement for Smart Work

According to a survey, over half of the listed companies adopted the system last year, and the adoption within public organizations has also been accelerating. However, it is still not easy for SMEs to introduce the Smart Work system owing to the high initial investment of around USD 300,000. The survey shows that still over half of the CEOs remaining have a high interest in adopting the system.

I believe that Smart Work can be a good alternative to polarization between large and small companies, low birth late, ageing, and the disabled issues. We are now planning to propose a bill to encourage smart work. The bill will include the development of low cost service models, as well as supporting centers for smart work relevant to childcare for working mothers.

 


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