BUSAN, KOREA – Busan, South Korea, is a globally well-know city as it has many attractions, such as beautiful and vibrant Haeundae beach, annual Busan International Film Festivals, and the major shopping areas and markets. The city has always welcomed people from abroad and never shied away from hosting major international events, such as ITU’s Asia Telecom in 2004 and APEC Economic Leader’s Meeting in 2005. Now, potentially the biggest event of all, Busan has been selected to host ITU’s 19th Plenipotentiary Conference in 2014 from October 20 to November 7 in BEXCO, Busan. With more than 2,500 ministerial-level government representatives and IT professionals from ITU Member States in 193 countries scheduled to participate and potential job growth and overall economic impact not only on the city of Busan, but also on the entire nation, we have asked the mayor of the city to give us the overview of the event and the city’s future plan and preparation.
Q. You have shown great deal of confidence in successful opening of for ITU’s 19th Plenipotentiary Conference in 2014. Please tell us how Busan was selected as the host venue for the event.
A. Busan has past experiences in hosting 2004 ITU Asia Telecom and 2005 APEC Economic Leader’s Meeting. Plus, the main factors ITU consider were BEXCO convention center, accommodations near Haeundae, close proximity with the international airport, accessible public transportation system, and other convenient facilities, and they received high regards in those factors. In addtion, we arranged Busan International Fireworks Festival in line with the ITU event period, so that the participants can bring memories of the “Special Event” and our city’s “will for successful hosting” were also the reasons for the venue selection.
As you know, we, Busan, have excellent tourist infrastructure, such as Haeundae Beach, Beomeosa, and Taejongdae that offers natural beauty, various international markets, and Jagalchi market, as well as great shopping facilities, including Shinsegae Department Store, the world’s largest international market. Hall of Movie Fame, Gwangandaegyo, Nurimaru APEC House have already become one of the famous domestic and international attractions in Busan.
Furthermore, BEXCO’s infrastructure and its location near Haeundae offers many five-stars hotels as well as business hotels, making accommodation easy, and airport accessibility and city transportation system and other amenities have received good ratings. As I mentioned earlier, by adjusting Busan International Fireworks Festival to the duration of the ITU event, we are also helping the participants to bring the “Special Event” memories, and our city’s willingness to put any necessary effort to become a successful host for ITU’s 19th Plenipotentiary Conference in 2014 was a huge consideration for the ITU selection committee.
Q. What is ITU’s 19th Plenipotentiary Conference How does it proceed
A. The 19th Plenipotentiary Conference will be held for about 3 weeks, starting on October 20, 2014, and ending on November 7, 2014, in BEXCO, Busan. Approximately 2,500 ministerial-level government representatives and IT professionals from ITU Member States in 193 countries are scheduled to participate.
The Plenipotentiary Conference is the top policy making body and supreme organ of the International Telecommunication Union. The conference, which is composed of delegations representing Member States and convened every four years, elects the senior management team, the Member States of the Council and the members of the Radio Regulations Board. The Plenipotentiary Conference sets the general policies and directions of the Union, establishes the basis for the organization’s financial plan and revises regulations and protocols, if necessary, for the development of ICT and reduction of the information gap among the countries.
Currently 48 countries are the Council Members and ever since Korea was elected as the Council Member in 1989, it is actively working as the current six-line member. (Korea Activities: Membership (Jan 31, 1952), Contribution amount (approximately 3,800,000,000 won in 2012)
ITU 19th Plenipotentiary Conference will hold the meetings of the three sectors, “Electronic Communications Sector,” “Standardization Sector,” and “Development Sector,” and about 50 meetings, including each sectoral meetings, regional meetings, advisory group, and study groups, will be held. Plenipotentiary Conference operates plenary session with 193 participating Member States and six Committees, Steering Committee, the Credentials Committee, the Finance Committee, the Editorial Board, the Policy Committee, and Management Committee.
Q. Busan is well-known for and held successful attractions, especially in MICE, such as APEC summit and Busan International Film Festival. What kind of effects do you expect to have from this event
*MICE: Meeting, Incentives, Convention, Exhibition
A. Busan is proved to be one of the best convention cities in the world as it was ranked 15th among the world’s 1,406 cities in 183 countries, 4th in Asia, and 3rd in the fastest convention growing cities in the world according to the “2011 International Convention City Ranking” published by Union of International Association.
The city is a great tourist convention city as it is a center of premier film festival in Asia and has great landscapes, such as Haeundae Beach, world’s largest market in Shinsegae Department Store, and touristic attractions, including Hall of Movie Fame, Gwangandaegyo, and Nurimaru APEC House. Furthermore, BEXCO’s location near Haeundae offers numerous five-star hotels and other business hotels, allowing participants comfortable accommodations, as the city utilizes such advantages, it can hold various exhibitions and international conferences to attract more MICE related industry and is expected to develop more.
As for the effect of hosting ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference in Busan, we are expecting 316.1 billion Won in economic impact and 5,832 people employment-induced effects resulting from direct investment and ICT industry development. Plus, not only such economic impact and new job creation are expected, but the brand image of Busan will also have great impact in becoming a global city as it is already Korea’s number one ranking city in Brand Power Index, studied by Korea Institute for International Policy.
Q. This event is not just a simple event, but a chance to introduce the national IT capabilities and products. What specific measures do plan to undertake
A. Busan was already acclaimed for its state of the art traffic information system from the participants of Intelligent Traffic Systems World Congress in 2010. Likewise, the city plans to adopt new systems for event preparation and registrations for ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference, so that the event can be successful.
We realize that, in the wake of the Plenipotentiary Conference in 2014, we need to take advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate strong ICT capabilities of Korea as well as Busan. Therefore, numerous workshops are held on a regular basis, in which Busan Development Institute, the Korea Communications Commission, government agencies, Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency, professors and faculty members, and professionals are together participating, to generate new ideas.
This 19th Plenipotentiary Conference will be “Smart Conference”. It means that the participants will be able to search and make reservations for accommodations, shopping, attractions, and restaurants all at once by creating a smart application, so that all meetings and schedule will be utilized by smart technologies with such preparation.
In addition, we will host investment briefing sessions for world ICT participants and on a global scale of international ICT exhibition that allows for export related meetings. We hope that through these events, this Conference does not just stop at having multiple meetings, but it can actually become advertising and marketing place for the ITC related companies in Korea and Busan.
In particular, we plan to build Haeundae area as the “ITU Special Zone”, in which the ITU participants will be able to experience the state of the art ICT technology, and to make new and ubiquitous city management and industrial innovative city by appointing Wondosim (U-hillside road Renaissance), Gandonggwon (U-Industrial Cluster), Centum City, Haeundae (U-Tourist Convention Valley) area as the U-City in accordance with Busan’s U-City Plan (2012 – 2016). We will show this strategy during ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference in 2014.
Q. Going forward the process of growing with developing countries that need benchmarking on the development of Korea’s ICT industry seems to be important issue as well. How do you perceive on this issue
A. Our city, Busan, also perceive this matter as an important issue going forward and the city is increasing the necessary supporting program to resolve such issue.
Busan city has provided top ITU Asia-Pacific Management Training Center, created by ITU, at Pusan National University for information and communication related government officials and business leaders of Asia-Pacific developing countries from 2008 to 2011 (total of 210 people from 21 countries in four different times), offering specialized and patented technical education programs. ITU Education Center at Pusan National University is operated under the purpose of reducing the technology gap among the member states and enhancing the competency of human resources. In particular, by offering education programs for developing countries, it has reduced the information gap among the Member States in Asia-Pacific region.
Busan city and Pusan National University ITU Education Center plan to collaborate with ITU to increase the technology development and education programs for developing countries’ ICT industry moving forward.
