Q: Would you introduce the government's efforts to introduce the EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea and relevant problems
A: The government has been going all-out to attract the EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea. Related to this, it established the committee supporting the attraction of the EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea under the chairmanship of the prime minister. President Roh Moo-hyun has also made unsparing efforts for the introduction of the EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea by requesting his counterparts to support Seoul's move whenever he holds bilateral or multilateral summit meetings.
Not only in the government sector but also in the private sector, all Korean people are exerting best efforts to attract the world EXPO to Yeosu.
For instance, chairmen of Hyundai Motor and GS Caltex are participating in the mission to attract the world EXPO and engaging in overseas promotion activities in Czechoslovakia, Slovakia, Brazil, and Oman.
At the same time, the government is actively pushing ahead with the project to expand infrastructure, including roads and railroads, to secure superiority to other rival cities in attracting the world EXPO.
Q: Would you comment on the government's plan to build a user-oriented and effective harbor logistics system
A: To promote convenience of users of harbor and efficiency, the government has been making a strong push for the harbor informatization project. It already established the Port-MIS system in 1996 and has been upgrading the system after collecting opinions from harbor users and officials at relevant institutions.
The government established RFID-based wireless recognition system at nine container terminals in Busan Port in 2006.
Since April this year, it has been carrying out a gate automation system and an automatic system to chase locations of containers and plans to expand the systems to major container terminals in the country, including Incheon and Gwangyang.
Q: May 31 is the Day of Sea. Do you have any plan to commemorate the Day of Sea
A: To help people recognize the importance of sea and enhance ocean exploration spirit, the government enacted May 31 as the Day of Sea in 1996.
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Fisheries, Gyengsangbuk-do and Pohang City jointly held a ceremony to celebrate the 12th Day of Sea at the construction site of Yeongil New Port in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do this year.
Under the subject of "life, production, sea of life," participants at the event resolved to make all-out efforts to help Korea jump toward ranks of the world's top five ocean superpowers.
Along with this, a joint academic forum of the Korea Ocean Science Technology Council was held at COEX in Seoul on May 31 to June 1 where experts in ocean science and students announced 660 papers.
