Strength, Harmony Bring Better
Future for Korea
Han Myeong-sook
Prime Minister, Republic of Korea Among several bad conditions such as the exchange rate decline and high oil prices last year, we opened an era of US$300 billion in exports and US$600 billion in trade with a background of excellent product and technology power.
This year is the year when the Participatory Government greets its fifth year. Especially, this year is a really pivotal period, because we have to finish the Participatory Government's reform tasks and prepare for a hopeful future. I, as Prime Minister, feel an extremely important responsibility more than ever and want to commit myself anew in front of the nation.
The government, above everything else, will devote total strength to bringing the livelihood of the people to life and to national integration.
The government will take care of related policy at large so that common people as well as the middle class can get the feel of business vitality in their skin and real estate policy will be propelled consistently with a firm will.
The welfare field also is one area the government will put forth its strength in priority so that growth can become fertilizer for national integration.
By solving the North Korean nuclear weapon problem peacefully and patiently, the government will attain the nonnuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and construct a structure of peace.
At the beginning of my inauguration, I pledged to become a Prime Minister of harmony and communication to the nation.
Over the past year, I sought advice and understanding while talkginw tih not only the persons who support government policy, but also the persons who criticize it. I will give more ear to your voices while meeting the nation where they are even more this year.
Only the strength of unity alone, based on national harmony, can usher the Republic of Korea into a better future.
I ask the nation's love and continuous support in the New Year, and also wish the nation's homes great happiness.
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Leading Korea to Next Level
Kim Woo-sik
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
of Science and Technology
The knowledge-based society of the 21st century is a society where the robust advancement of science and technology closely tied to society forms the basis of a nation's development. As the engine of economic growth and the propellant force in the road to an advanced country, the science and technology of today are pulling out from their academic boundaries to be firmly rooted in all sectors of life, including politics, economy, society and culture, thus settling in as the mainstay principle in running a nation.
Accordingly, the government has been devoting much effort to bring about an advanced Science Korea that goes along with the people by focusing on key policy goals . to make science technology specialized, efficient, and global while bring it closer to the public. As a result, the Total Roadmap, which is designed to set the nation's mid and long-term R&D visions and strategies, is in its completion phase of formulation. It covers all ministries with related research arms of the government that have embarked on the Top Brand Project aimed at attaining the most fruitful results in their respective fields.
The government has also devoted much energy in founding the science-loving culture that all nationals can jointly enjoy and take part. The events held for this cause include the successful launching of a multi-purpose commercial satellite Arirang 2, the selection of Korean astronauts for the country's first manned space mission in April 2008, nationwide competition of science for everyday life, and meetings of science with human studies and arts. Especially, the Ultra Program that first began in March 2006 for the globalization of science and technology has been acting as a forum of exchange among prominent scholars home and abroad.
On this momentous occasion of greeting 2007, the Ministry of Science and Technology is refreshing its energy to do utmost to perfect the policy implementations that have been carried out so far and help innovations in science and technology advance the era of per capita GNP of twenty to thirty thousand dollars. I hope that the Korea IT Times, too, will not only elevate people's understanding of science and technology but also inform the world of Korea's advancement and robust activities of scientists.
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Digital Hopes Uniting Korea
Rho Jun-hyong
Minister, Ministry of Information and
Communication
The policy environment is fast changing. Including telecommunication and broadcasting, convergence is speeding up between industries through which diverse industries and IT are combined such as medical treatment, automobile, and construction. New emerging IT powers like China and India are catching up with us, because their pacing has intensified due to global competition. In addition, as we go forward toward information society, negative functions like cyber infringement, violence, individual information outflow, and information gap swell out.
In step with such change, IT policy must be changed. With growth strategy alone limited to the IT industry, we can't cope with such environment change uprightly.
For this end, the MIC will assume leadership of national society innovations by diffusing IT into entire fields. Next, the MIC will jack up IT industry's global core competitiveness. We will harden safe and reliable information society's discipline system. We will also forge an Ubiquitous environment, which fits to convergence/ complexity trend.
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New Year Test for Technology Industry
Rim In-bae
Chairman of the Science, Technology, Information
and Telecommunications Committee of National
Assembly
The year 2007 for our IT sector may rightfully be said as a meaningful year during which the new environmental change in technology will open in earnest, heralding the Ubiquitous Age along with the convergence of wireless and wired telecommunications and broadcasting.
In this sense, the year 2007 is forecast to be an important year that will enable us to judge whether the IT industry's rise can bring about the per capita income of US$20,000 and whether it can continue.
Knowledge and information technology is an invaluable means and an opportunity to challenge for securing the nation's competitiveness in the 21st century and for leading the future society.
Based on the outcomes attained so far, we have to set up and carry out comprehensive long-term visions to prepare for the information era, establishing a reliable management system for the Internet portal and developing next-generation IT resources. We, as leaders in the IT field, also have to do our best to stand at the forefront in providing assistance to less developed countries through such means as the handing over of Internet knowhow.
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Future Economy Based on Knowledge
Hong Chang-sun
Member of the National Assembly
For the year 2007, I wish the Korea IT Times to make great strides more than ever. The development of science and technology including information and telecommunications is the driving force for a nation's advancement. I believe that the future of our nation lies in raising the competitive strength of science and technology.
Science and Technology have always accelerated the transition to a new society through innovation and development by stirring up society and the economy. Today, our nation is at the threshold of entering into a knowledge-based society in which the revolution of knowledge technology is in an accelerated state. This is the next step following the past transitions from an agricultural to an industrial society and then to an information society centered on the Internet and digital networks. If we sum up the characteristics of circumstantial changes our society has recently been experiencing, we can get the following list: first, the transition to a knowledge and information based economy as a result of rapid technological development; second, the arrival of a global competition era; and third, the rapid process of aging. Only when we actively strive to cope with such circumstances can we then materialize the era of 30,000 dollar per capita income.
We have to speed up the transition to an economy that is based on knowledge and the transition to convergence and combination that are today's trends, casting off the fragmented knowledge of the past and the frame of an industrial structure.
We have to bring creative ideas into full play and elevate the primary, secondary and tertiary industries into 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 industries by adding cutting-edge functions to each one of our products. Only then can we secure the global competitiveness that can tide over competitions worldwide and overcome the stagnation of national development that should occur in the process of entering into an aged society.
There is a high possibility to see political confusion ahead of the presidential election at the year's end and the general election next year. As much as this is the case, there is a need to have an attitude to do the best in one's field of profession without wavering. Scientists and technicians already know too well that nothing can be achieved overnight without working daily in good faith. I hope this year will become a year in which this common sense holds true well more than any period in the past. Once again, my good wishes of peace of mind and progress are to you all fellow countrymen and the Korea IT Times.
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What Changes May Come
Kim Moon-hwan
President of Kookmin University
The Year of the Pig 2007 has dawned. To me, IT technologies seem to be getting younger as the years pass by. Anything IT today influences every facet of human life. A new paradigm called Ubiquitous is being consolidated in the field of information and telecommunications. For a while, IT was thought of as a passive instrument that reduces only human labor and costs.
Today, however, it is thought of as an active instrument that enriches human life, and thus leads the Well-being Era. Not simply staying short of reforming the life and institutions of mankind, IT replaces a lot of everything. I think such replacement is likely to continue in the future, too. The IT devices that we could not see and imagine two decades ago are abound in our daily surroundings.
Fortunately, Korea has solidified its status as an IT powerhouse. In order for Korea's IT industry to lead the well-being era and the global economy, educational institutions must live up to their duties. New technology is needed in regards to the convergence of broadcasting and telecommunication, e-learning, on-line games, design, and the development of innovative software. I hope that 2007 will be a meaningful year in which the three parties of universities, corporations and the government open a new chapter of history in the IT field.
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Remember Year of Robot
Prof. Kim Jong-hwan
President of FIRA
The year 2006 will be remembered as an astonishing year of achievement for the nation's robotics industry.
The People's Robots that are based on the nation's advanced IT infrastructure were recently introduced to the market and have begun to be supplied to homes and public places around the nation. In addition, Robo World 2006, the nation's largest robotics event, was successfully completed. In the course of the burgeoning of promotional policies sowed by the government, the cultural events driven by the private sector to spread the robotics culture, too, have borne rich fruits and ended in success.
My memories are with the FIRA Robotics World Cup unfolded during the world enthralling 2006 German World Cup soccer games. Since the 1998 World Cup held in France, the FIRA World Cup has been held together with the soccer games, contributing much to the spread of robotics culture by consolidating its place as another World Cup in the field of science and technology. I hope that this year will be remembered as the year during which all of you can carry hope and limitless imagination and think of new tasks of whatever scale; and promptly taking up challenges and carrying them out to score gains. I wish that the New Year will bring you things you could not have imagined yesterday but comes by today.
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Developing Nuclear Medicine Cooperation
Lee Myung-chul
President of The Korean Society
of Nuclear Medicine
The year of 2006 was a great year for me because the 9th Congress of World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology was successfully held at COEX, Seoul from 22 to 27 October 2006 with about 3,500 participants from all over the world. As a President of the WFNMB, I made great efforts for the globalization of nuclear medicine by fostering an international network of cooperation and communication through this international event. Therefore, in this Congress it is emphasized how to develop strategic action for the promotion of nuclear medicine and how to make the global harmonization of nuclear medicine to successfully occur. With the successful result of this Congress, I expect new horizons of world's nuclear medicine to open and global cooperation is encouraged. Furthermore, it will enhance the degree of recognition about nuclear medicine and herald Korea's development status of nuclear medicine to the world.
Even though I am finished with the role of the President of WFNMB, in 2007 I will be still busy in working for the promotion of nuclear medicine nationally and internationally. Locally, I am President of the Korean Society of Nuclear Medicine, President of the Korean Association for Nuclear Medicine Promotion and Chairman of the Planning and Strategy Committee of the Korean PET Association. I will develop cooperation between government, related institutes, societies, and industrial companies. Also, I will work for PET promotion, strategy development and implementation. Besides, by using the status of my department of nuclear medicine in Seoul National University Hospital as a collaborating center of IAEA, I will try to develop collaboration with IAEA to enhance education and training for the physicians in less developed countries.
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Restructuring KOTRA for Changing Future
Hong Ki-hwa
President of KOTRA
The year that lies ahead will undoubtedly bring with it greater challenges that threaten to keep us from accomplishing yet higher goals. Needless to say, we will have our work cut out for us. A private economic research firm forecast 4% growth for the Korean economy during the first half of the year. With global economic growth expected to slow, overall trade falling from the 2006 level of 8% to 7% this year, in light of rising raw material costs and a strengthening won forcing up the price of goods, the burden on exporters to perform is even heavier. In 2007, since establishing foreign trade agreements is the first step in elevating domestic companies to global standards, and paving the way of success for foreign invested companies, we intend to create a more conducive atmosphere for signing such agreements.
In order to maximize the benefits of increased trade and investment, KOTRA will restructure corporate management, resolutely weeding out those that are less efficient and record high operating costs. Then we will select strategic industries and markets in which to concentrate an injection of funds and human resources. KOTRA will increase efforts to find new overseas customers, create better avenues for domestic companies to branch into foreign markets and then offer on-site local assistance once those companies relocate to overseas markets. The year ahead promises to be full of unexpected surprises in the form of obstacles and opportunities. Experts say that exports will play a huge factor in helping our nation become a truly advanced economy. If we believe this, not wasting a moment wavering in doubt, and all of us -- the government, large corporations, SMEs, export promotion institutes and agencies -- combine forces, we can succeed in winning the first leg of the race towards our ultimate goal for 2012: to enter the One Trillion Dollar Trade Era.
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Leading Globe in Convergence
Choi Mun-ki
President of Electronics and Telecommunications
Research Institute
For the past three decades, ETRI has faithfully played the role of a global IT leader in the 21st century; from TDX, the electronic switch board, to DRAM, CDMA, WiBro, and the terrestrial DMB.
The IT industry's surroundings of late are changing rapidly, together with such trends as the convergence of telecommunications with broadcasting and the integration of environments for the wired and wireless telecommunications.
To cope with such a challenge, we will build an organizational base that conforms to the technological setting of the convergence. At the same time, we will launch ETRI-based businesses and strive to revitalize the Daedeok Special Zone and build a global R&D system in the long run.
Furthermore, ETRI will energetically push forward the u- IT839 project of the Ministry of Information and Communication so that it can be successfully completed. Internally, ETRI will exert every effort to stabilize the organizational structure and secure expert capacities.
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Climbing the ALPS to Innovations
Son Yeon-gi
President of Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity
and Promotion
Even though Korea is a nation that has been ranked top in the ITU's Digital Opportunity Index (DOI) for two consecutive years in 2005 and 2006, there is a growing concern that IT does not contribute to elevating the competitiveness of both individuals and the country. This is because there is a stronger tendency to utilize the digital power for consumption rather than productive gains.
As has always been the case, the year 2007 is destined to be a very important year. There will be a plenty of instances that would determine whether Korea can jump and pull through the 20,000 dollar plateau to reach an advanced country status with a per capita income of 30,000 dollars, or drop out in the process. Anything digital should be a source of hope for the people. The competitive strengths of the people and of a nation likewise stem from such a hope.
Accordingly, KADO chose Digital Together as its slogan for the New Year on its outset and ALPS as the brand for practicing innovations.
Standing for Digital Access, Literacy, Productivity, and Sustainability, the acronym ALPS refers to a strategy that seeks to gradually resolve the information gap.
In this New Year, I wish that Korea can display to the world the productive capacities of its digital power rooted in the spirit of the motto Digital Together and lay down the ground on which it can reach out and truly become an advanced country.
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Avoiding Economic Stagnation This Year
Eugene Jun
President of Incheon IT Promotion Agency
The year of 2007 is predicted to see another economic stagnation in the domestic market due to such risks as the financial instability arising from the drop in exchange rate, the prolonging of the North Korean nuclear stalemate, and the worsening relations between labor and management. Moreover, the rapid rise of Chinese economy and the quantum leaps by IT industries of Japan, India and others is endangering ours.
In 2007, the year of the pig, we should fulfill our dream of opening the era of 30,000 dollars in per capita income by systemically preparing the following things.
Firstly, the small and mid-sized enterprises must concentrate on seeking opportunities offshore rather than in the domestic market. The supply and demand system in the domestic market is crowded mostly in the Seoul metropolitan region; and it is not easy for the SMEs to find new frontiers in a market where large corporations are already settled. Accordingly, we have to challenge the opportunities open in the world market with the help of Korea being an IT powerhouse. At times, we have to strive to gain various information including policies from abroad and focus on more aggressive overseas marketing by actively taking part in worldly exhibitions such as CeBit, CES, and GITEX. Secondly, the government should cap the IT839 policy into a plan that wins the acceptance of all IT companies. We have to prepare a plan that will override similar schemes overseas, the likes of which include China's brain gain plan 111, Japan's plan to build a society based on intellectual property rights, and India's plan to become a software powerhouse. By doing so, then can we build a basis for our IT technologies to win the world's respect once again.
Thirdly, the government and corporations alike should strive to attract IT related organizations and R&D centers from abroad. Early last year, Incheon succeeded in housing ESCAP's APCICT, a UN training center for the development of information and communication technologies. Annually, trainees from 62 mem ber nations of the UN's Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific will come to Incheon for training.
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Customer Values First
Yang Byung-tae
President of Korea Institute of Science and
Technology Information
During the last year, KISTI faithfully executed the reliable supporting role of building information infrastructure for the development of science and technology. The global cycle of technology development is rapidly getting shorter enough to correspond to the saying that new technology emerges overnight.
And due to the expansion and convergence of advanced technologies, the environment for research in the field of science and technology is changing speedily. The information environment for science and technology, too, is in a gradual virtualization process in step with both the emergence of Grid technology and the Semantic Web and the progress being made in the convergence among these technologies.
To actively cope with the rapidly changing R&D information environment and the needs of consumers, KISTI plans to recast its role and shape under the mottos of Customer Values First and Bolstering Internal Capabilities, and become a leading organization in building an advanced infrastructure that changes the paradigm of science and technology.
Time has brought us into an era in which our capacities will determine not simply the nation's competitive strength in science and technology but rather the competitive strength of the nation as a whole. Taking great pride and solemn responsibility as well as an innovative mind for the future, we will do our best to develop the nation's science and technology.
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International Harmony, Freedom for Jeju
Kim Tae-hwan
Governor of Jeju Special Self-governing Province
In Jeju, the commercialization of Ubiquitous technology as IT's dream technology and advanced information communications are at play -- such as WiBro, 4G, and telematics. In October this year, you will be experiencing e- Governance in U-City Jeju as local governments, citizens, and corporations will gather here to exchange knowledge and information. Also this year, we as the inhabitants of an island of world peace proclaimed by the government will further strive to create and keep peace from a global citizen's standpoint.
Jeju, the natural heritage of which is closing in to be listed as a World Natural Heritage this coming October, is already a UNESCO biosphere conservation region. With this in mind, we will materialize an ecotype city that is environmentally friendly and that harmonizes such natural beauty with biotechnologies. In view of Jeju as a renowned city for international conventions, we will also make contributions to the harmony of people around the world.
Jeju's vision is none other than Korea's vision. To make Jeju an international free city with the free movement of people, goods, and capital, and where it is most suited to operate a business, we will not restrain from making changes but transform Jeju into a future-leading city through the development of advanced industries of IT, BT and CT, and at the same time a city of mutual survival where people and the nature coexist.
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Leading Ubiquitous City
Huh Nam-sik
Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City
Last year, Busan has accomplished splendid successes such as opening a new Busan harbor, constructing the Buk-Hang Bridge, and being selected as one of the 10 Asian international conference cities.
One hundred eleven local companies won the export tower prize, and Busan city received 2nd prize in the company friendly good innovation cases competition two years in a row. Therefore, Busan city is certified as a good place to start a business from both inside and outside the country.
Especially, Busan city is gathering attention from national and international telecommunication firms and businesses due to the possibility of holding 2008 ITU Telecom Asia, so called the Olympics of the IT industry. If Busan is chosen to hold the 2008 ITU Telecom Asia, it is going to have the distinct honor of holding the event for the second time after 2004.
Also, as a completion of the RFID harbor logistics efficiency project which was carried out as a U-Port construction business, we are able to strengthen the competitiveness of our harbors. Busan is accomplishing its Busan U-city business which aims to make the whole city use ubiquitous technology. The model service is carried on in four fields which are harbors, transport, health, and exhibition. We are planning to be ubiquitous capable by 2010 and to be the best city with its high competitive power.
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Changing Definition of Cutting Edge
Yoon Jong-yong
Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics
The Year of Pig, 2007, is expected to be good for Korean businesses. The won has hit a 50 year low against the dollar, and exports are generally higher in most sectors.
In 2007 particularly, next-generation technologies such as DMB, WiBro, and next-generation memory architectures will be marketed earnestly, offering electronics businesses new opportunities to work together to add value to the marketplace.
Samsung Electronics is already a major player in the flat panel and memory markets. This year is the year Samsung Electronics will expand into other electronics markets and further enhance growth engine businesses in South Korea.
All executives and staff members of Samsung will do their best to make the company an even more prominent leader in the global marketplace. This is the fourth year since Samsung made its bid to becoming the top class electronics company globally. The coming year is the year we lead the nation's industrial development to new highs, bringing benefit to all levels of the national economy by the formation of contract and seed businesses. Innovation and creativity are the collective spark of global development, and Samsung Electronics pledges to encourage those two in the year to come in order to bring the ubiquitous society to Korea.
The name Samsung is synonymous with quality, dependability, and excellence, and this year will enforce those traits in all markets. We will continue to evolve and revolutionize our markets, and make sure that Korea is at the spearhead of the global technology revolution.
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Entering IT Construction
Park Keun-sik
President and CEO of Asiana IDT
As a result of the RFID/USN research center's activities to accomplish upbringing and commercializing new technology, Asiana IDT has finished commercializing RFID middleware products and mobile RFID solutions. Asiana IDT also has improved project quality level, work efficiency, good competitive power, and external trust by obtaining a CMMI level 3 certificate which is an international quality standard of IT process maturity.
Also, Asiana IDT is doing active business in China though Kumho Software Development Co., Ltd, and is promoting a Legacy Migration project. Demand for the project is recently rising based on new business technology and knowledge of prominent companies in Japan. By this successful advance in China and Japan, Asiana IDT is growing as a global enterprise. The Korean IT industry is growing rapidly, and needs higher technique and business model innovation at this time of a coming ubiquitous society with ubiquitous IT such as DMB, Wibro, and Humanized Network IT.
Therefore, Asiana IDT seeks the IT construction business, to do our best innovating business models such as new technology development in RFID/USN and reinforcement in R&D department. Asiana IDT is also getting ready to be the leading company of future ubiquitous markets such as RFID/USN, ITS, IBS, Home network, surroundings, and distributions.
Also, Asiana IDT is going to accept 2007 overseas SI project and is going to promote overseas business though the Joint Venture with overseas branches or overseas enterprises. As a leading company of future IT, and the best IT partner of the era of globalization, Asiana IDT is going to focus on the best IT service and the solution development, and is going to cooperate with our customers.
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German Cooperation in LCD Industry
Dr. Norbert Baas
Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany
It is a great pleasure for me to send a New Year message to the esteemed readership of the Korea IT Times.
Having arrived in this exciting and dynamic country just a few months ago, one of the first things I noticed was the sophistication of Korea's IT services. I was happy to learn that cooperation between our two countries in this key sector is growing by leaps and bounds. In 2006, the successful introduction of Digital Media Broadcasting (DMB) services in Germany began. This would not have been possible without strong support from Korean companies and the Korean government.
The imminent conversion of television, video and the internet into one unified service should provide further opportunities for cooperation.
Korea is the world's foremost manufacturer of flat screens. The most popular technology for these devices involves liquid crystals. These are produced, I am proud to say, by a German company. We can and should further build on similar win-win situations for both our countries in cutting-edge technologies. These few examples show that there already exists a significant degree of cooperation and also division of labor in the ITindustry between Korean and German entities. I am certain that this cooperation can increase in depth and scope in the years to come.
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Close Cooperation with Korea in IT
Kim Luotonen
Ambassador of Finland
Year 2006 saw an increased activity in Finnish-Korean relations. The highlight was President Roh Moo-hyun's state visit to Finland in September 2006. During his visit a number of agreements were signed between Finnish and Korean research institutions and technology centers. They build upon general framework agreements concluded in the 1990s between Finland and the Republic of Korea. I hope these new cooperation arrangements will lead to enhanced activities between research institutions not only in the IT sector but also in biotechnology, nanotechnology and any field where Finnish and Korean scientists, research institutions and companies can benefit from pooling their knowledge and experience together.
During the state visit TEKES, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation arranged together with KICOS, the Korea Foundation for International Cooperation of Science and Technology, the first Korea-Finland Science and Technology Forum. It provided an excellent opportunity for Finnish and Korean experts to meet and network. One of the very topical subjects was the Utilization of Atomic Energy, which gave an overview of the situation in both our countries. Both environmental concerns, the need for efficient energy use and energy conservation have again intensified the debate on atomic energy. In this context it is also worth mentioning Korea's participation in the European ITER-project for fusion energy. I hope that the Korea-Finland Science and Technology Forum becomes a permanent feature in our bilateral relations. It would provide a convenient platform for scientists, research workers, experts in different fields to meet and exchange views on the most recent developments.
I am convinced that the groundwork for increased cooperation in the fields of science and technology between our two countries has been well reinforced. We can look forward with positive anticipation to year 2007 and hope for further deepening interaction between Finland and the Republic of Korea.
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Ready to Join Knowledge Society
Moncef Baati
Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia
Convinced of the leading role of IT sector as the best fast track to achieve economic development of nations, Tunisia strengthened its efforts over the last decade to prepare itself for this new era of knowledge Society. It is this concern that prompted Tunisia to propose, in 1998, the organization of a World Summit on the Information Society and to succeed to host its second phase in November 2005.
Due to its undergoing comprehensive National strategy for developing the ITC sector which has resulted in the establishment of a modern communication infrastructure, a reinforced organizational and regulatory IT platform and a competitive human technological capacities, Tunisia has become a regional ICT center in Africa and the Middle Eastern region.
With regard to the utmost importance given to ITC sector in Tunisia and with Korea standing today as one of the most advanced technological countries, IT fields are identified by both parties as one of the key prosperous areas of future cooperation between Tunisia and Korea.
Cooperation between Tunisia and the private IT sector in Korea in terms of attracting Korean investment in the field of IT is another key priority that starts to show positive signs. I strongly believe that Tunisia, with its favorable geostrategic position in Africa and the Middle East combined with its competitive IT landscape and expertise and knowhow, will offer to Korean IT companies a unique gateway to enlarge their business in that area.
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Enthusiastic Cooperation This Year
Alfredo Francisco Ungo
Ambassador of El Salvador
In less than 30 years, Korea has become an IT country leader benchmarked by many foreign institutions that want to promote and expand IT industries in their respective countries. Particularly, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean region will be good partners to Korea in expanding and strengthening the cooperation and mutual development in IT technology. Personally, I am enthusiastic about the implementation of the IT cooperation-related agreements already signed between El Salvador and the Republic of Korea. It will undoubtedly carry mutual benefits.
Moreover, El Salvador is looking forward to more cooperation agreements with different prestigious Korean IT technology entities.
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Complimentary Core Competencies
N. Parthasarathi
Ambassador of India
The phenomenal growth in the global IT industry over the past decade could only be described as revolutionary. The speed with which research in the field of knowledge-based technologies are translated into commercially viable applications is mind-bogging. The value addition made by this sector to the global economy is enormous. I am happy that India and the Republic of Korea have played a significant role and are a part of this growing IT industry. The prowess of Indian software engineers is well known all over the world. Korea enjoys a predominant role in the manufacture of semiconductors and LCDs. Korea perhaps has the most effective broadband penetration in the world.
Although India and Korea are geographically distant, there have been historical and cultural contacts between our two peoples dating back to ancient times. The rationale for a close relationship has been reinforced in modern times by economic complementaries and political convergence our two counties and India-Korea relations have now entered into a vibrant mode. The core competence of India is the technically qualified human resources that are well known for software expertise.
Korea has the cutting edge technology in IT hardware. There is tremendous scope for collaboration as complementaries and synergies are limitless. There remains a large untapped potential for further cooperation in this sector. Just to give one example of the tremendous opportunities in the Indian IT industry, every month we are adding 5 million new subscribers in the mobile phone sector. The Indian government recognizes the vital importance of the IT and other knowledge-based sectors in economic development in the future. The new National Telecom Policy promotes greater participation by private sector organizations. The IT industry has the potential to translate itself into the main pillar of the economic engagement between our two nations.
During 2007, there will be further efforts at integration of Nano-bio-information Technologies. WiBro, RFID and various other technologies will find wider applications. I am confident that the New Year will bode well for significant cooperation between India and Korea in to the IT sector.
