He stated that the policies of the Ministry of Information and Communication, including IT 839 and others, will be continued and that he is determined to lead the IT-advancement of fields other than the IT industry, including politics, finance, labor, defense, construction, and others.
More than 100 members attending were very much interested especially since the speech was the first external speech by Minister Roh since he took office.
As for the reason behind concentrating on fields other than the IT industry this year, Minister Roh explained that in order for the IT industry to grow other fields must go through IT-advancement and that the rate of increase of IT exports last year was greatly reduced. The rate of increase was the lowest in recent years at 1.6%, which was lower than the rate of increase of total exports.
Minister Roh analyzed, "The prices of the three main itemsincluding semiconductors, mobile phones, and displays- were greatly lowered. Because of the foreign exchange rate problem, the rate of increase of exports was below the average figure for the first time. The plus, and not minus, figure record shows that the strength of the IT industry has grown. The countermeasures regarding the lowering of the prices of the main products and the worsening of trade conditions must change."
He added, "In order for the IT industry to grow, not only IT but also other fields must become IT-advanced. Hence, we will unfold projects focusing on U-cities, ITS, and cooperation with local self-government bodies."
And Minister Roh stated that he will unfold the M1 Project in earnest beginning in the second half of this year. He said, "There is a high probability that new industries will come out from wireless telecommunications using frequencies and radio waves."
Regarding the Songdo IT Cluster, of which the work will begin this year, he stated, "It is being pursued as a part of the formation of an environment in which small- and medium-sized enterprises can become attractive partners of large companies." Finally, Minister Roh emphasized, "The special feature of the new u-IT839 policy is the strengthening of software. We must challenge the software field, without fail, in the future. It is only when we can succeed in this challenge that our country can become an advanced country with citizens' (average) income of over thirty thousand US dollars surpassing twenty thousand US dollars."
Kim Chang-kon Receives the Information and Communication Grand Award
Kim Chang-kon, president of the National Computerization Agency (NCA), has received the Information and Communication Grand Award for this year.
On the 51st Information and Communication Day on April 22, the Korean Institute of Communication Sciences (KICS) bestowed the Information and Communication Grand Award to President Kim for his contributions to the development of information and communications including management innovations.
President Kim, who has led a number of information-specialized organizations, such as the Korea Information Security Agency and NCA, has introduced competition in the communication industry and has successfully pursued the domestic unified standardization and commercialization of the CDMA mobile communication system. By winning the award, President Kim will also be receiving 5 million won prize money KICS has decided to award starting this year.
Three Persons Selected for R.O.K. Top Scientist and Technician Award
For the 39th 'Science Day' of April 21, the recipients were selected for the R.O.K. Top Scientist and Technician Award, which is the highest award (Presidential award) in the fields of science and technology. The awardees were Hwang Chang-kyu, CEO, Samsung Electronics' Memory Chip Division, Hwang Jun-muk, professor at the Korea Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS), and Kim Sung-hoon, professor at the Seoul National University. The R.O.K. Top Scientist and Technician Award is bestowed on persons possessing Korean nationality who are scientists and technicians that have contributed to national development and citizens' welfare through world-class research and development accomplishments or technological innovation. The recipients receive a Presidential certificate of merit and a prize of 300 million won.
Gold Tower Industrial Service Medal Goes to LG Electronics Vice President
Kim Ssang-Soo, Vice president of LG Electronics was awarded the "Gold Tower Industrial Service Medal" by the government on the occasion of Labor Day, for his devotion to integration and harmony between labor and management.
The "Gold Tower Industrial Service Medal" is the highest honor medal among other industrial service medals awarded by government.
In 1989, LG Electronics suffered from labor-management conflict. Kim Ssang-Soo, as an executive of the Changwon branch of LG at that time, personally visited employees who went on strike and he persistently tried to negotiate with them. Furthermore, he greeted all employees every morning at the front gate.
After taking office as CEO, he arranged social gatherings with executives of the labor union. And every quarter he announced the company's business profits, and discussed plans to improve the work environment.
As a result of this, the company carefully chose the best terms and conditions for harmony between labor and capital.
Since 1993, LG Electronics has preferred the term "labor-capital," which has a more equal nuance than the subordination nuance in the term "labor-management." People say Mr. Kim is someone who always acts on his convictions - based on the philosophy "the key to stable, successful company management is the company's harmony and integration."
Clearly, he is a leader who knows how to convert confrontational labor-capital relations into a harmonious and collaborative relationship.
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