Q: Would you comment on the prospects for the overseas spread of Korea's Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) and WiBro service and its competition with DVB-H standard of Europe after the 2006 World Cup in Germany The overseas spread of Korea's DMB service largely depends on whether the DMB service launched in Germany is a success or not.
I expect good results, as the privatelymanaged broadcasting committee of the Bayern State of Germany and Germany's main mobile communication provider Debitel have been making best efforts for the DMB service.
Possibilities are high that the DMB service will dominate the market, as an immediate service is possible in case of using DAB frequency, widely different from the DVB-H that requires a new frequency before starting the service.
In the case of the WiBro service, three countries, including Brazil, are planning a commercial service. And a number of countries are considering introducing the WiBro service, so the prospect for global dissemination of the WiBro service is very bright. WiBro allows people on the road to remain hooked into the Web at the speed of the current fixed-line broadband through laptops or personal digital assistant-type terminals.
Q: What are the main contents of the IT839 strategy and its future directions A: The core of the IT839 strategy is to enhance synergy effects through accompanying growth of the service and manufacturing industries.
For instance, Korea has succeeded in exporting the mobile phone service by linking the service with the manufacturing industry for the first time in the world. The nation's exports of the mobile phone service reached $24.6 billion in 2005.
Until recently, the IT839 strategy focused on technology development of new growth engines and pilot projects as it was in the initial stage.
In the future, we will focus on activation of the market and spread of the services, including commercialization and supply of relevant technology.
For balanced development between hardware and software, between finished goods and parts, and between large and smaller companies, we will strengthen the competitiveness of the software, IT parts and material industries and actively push for fostering the IT small and medium-sized venture companies.
Q: Would you introduce the ministry's plan to supply the "national robot," the core project of the IT839 strategy
A: The national robot is a living-type network robot priced at 1 million won with practicality and economic viability. We plan to dominate the initial market and lead the global market in the future on a gradual basis.
Before the supply of national robots in earnest, we are preparing a pilot project. With a budget of 4.8 billion won for 2006, the ministry plans to supply 650 robots to households in the country and 20 robots in the public sector, verifying the possibility of commercialization.
If the pilot service produces a favorable result, the ministry will introduce national robot commercialized products to the market at the end of this year and help communication providers build a system for robot distribution, sales and after-sales service.
Q: In the Korea-U.S. FTA negotiations, the U.S. side is requesting the Seoul government to additionally ease regulations on foreigners' stake in communication business. What is the government's position about this matter
We do not feel the necessity of expanding the foreigners' equity, now standing at 49 percent, further.
We think the opening level of Korea reaches a very high level compared with that of advanced countries in terms of the foreigners' equity.
There are few countries that allow foreign investors to buy up to 49 percent of the equity of the governing business and the government has no stock in the business.
As for the U.S. request, we will cope with it systematically in the process of negotiations.
Q: What is the government's role to firm up the status of Korea as an IT powerhouse
Although the IT industry has a great portion of the national economy, it has a limit to grow further without accompanying development in other sectors. In particular, such external fields, as financing and labor need the IT service.
It was well attested by the network preparation index announced by the World Economic Forum last March that shows Korea's level is high in IT infrastructure, but low in political and regulatory environment.
Accordingly, the government will innovate the overall system of the national society and enhance the overall productivity through the introduction of the IT service to sectors other than IT.
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