Wilhelm DonkoAmbassador of the Republic of Austria
As Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the Republic of Korea it is my great pleasure to congratulate the Korea IT Times on the 3rd anniversary of its publication. This highly respected magazine has become a leading English-language journal covering important IT developments in Korea and abroad and carrying indepth reports on specific aspects of the IT industry and on general developments in this field. Korea is a magnet for R&D centers of multinational IT corporations, attracted by Korea's excellent human resources and advanced IT base. Close to 30 million Koreans use the Internet - the overwhelming majority via broadband access, putting the country far ahead of its rivals in world rankings. South Korea has become the most penetrated broadband market in the world and is also a world leader in the commercial application of broadband Internet technologies. South Korea's exceptional broadband success is due to several factors, some of which may be specific to the country and others that can be replicated by policymakers in other economies -- in that regard, Austria has also studied the Korean success story in every detail. In the name of the Austrian Embassy in Seoul I wish this interesting and useful journal a Happy Birthday.
Dr. Norbert Baas
Ambassador of the Republic of Germany
It is my great pleasure to congratulate the Korea IT Times on its 3rd Anniversary. Information Technology brings the world together and this is particularly true for two nations like Germany and Korea, which are both very advanced in IT matters. German companies and scientific institutions highly appreciate the invaluable contributions in your magazine. The Korea IT Times is an important source of information. I am sure that thanks to its expertise and awareness about new trends your magazine will see a promising future. I am glad to note that 2006 was another dynamic year for Germany's IT industry. More than half of the German population is now online. 80% of all Germans have a mobile phone. No other country has more websites per capita -- 85 websites per 1000 Germans. Information and Communication Technology is an industry with more than 130 billion Euros annual turnover and some 750,000 jobs, one of the most important economic sectors in Germany. Every school in Germany nowadays has internet access. More and more government services are available online. Against this background, companies working in the German Information and Telecommunication sector look positively into the future. They expect further significant growth of the IT-market. All this presents good opportunities for deepening cooperation between Germany and Korea. Korean companies being interested in connecting with our German companies should go through the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul. Korea's and Germany's economies are both technology-driven. If we want to defend our competitive advantages on world markets, we constantly have to look for new ideas and new products. ICT is one of the fields that look particularly promising for close cooperation between our two countries.
Leandro Arellano
Ambassador of Mexico
I'd like to take this opportunity to express my congratulations on the 3rd Anniversary of the Korea IT Times. Your journal has offered foreigners in Korea easy access to the advanced IT industry of your country and to the last news in this field. I hope that you continue the actual reputation as a specialized and professional magazine in IT industry of Korea and also that in the future you become one of the most renowned publications in Asia. On behalf of the Embassy of Mexico and on my own behalf, please accept our sincere congratulations.
Didrik Tønseth
Ambassador of Norway
Norway and Korea are both major producers of sophisticated ICT products. On the one hand Korea is one of the most advanced countries in the world in mobile and telecom infrastructure and in the new digital media services. On the other hand Norway -- with its pioneering history in ICT -- is very much in the forefront in mobile, media and Internet broadband services. Also Norway has high penetrations in these fields combined with excellent basic studies. Hardware accounts for around 70% of Koreas ICT industry, while Norway's relative strength lies in its software industry, which accounts for around 80% of the ICT industry. This incongruence makes our two nations extremely compatible to each others needs. Important cooperation is already taking place in areas like digital medicine, media technology, mobile devices, accessories and search engines. The potential for further cooperation between our two countries is even greater, which was also recognized by Minister Dag Terje Andersen and Minister Rho Jun-hyong when they two months ago signed a MoU on further cooperation between our two countries. It is my great pleasure to congratulate the Korea IT Times -- a leading provider of news and insight information in the IT sector -- on its 3rd anniversary.
