SEOUL, KOREA - Beating two other candidates from Turkey and Tunisia, Dr. Lee Chae-sub, a researcher at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) for IT Convergence, has become the first Korean to be elected as director of the Telecommunication Standardization Sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T), therefore putting S. Korea into a leading position in the international ICT standardization sector for the first time since the nation joined the ITU back in 1952.
Choi Yang-hee, Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning, and Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se jointly announced on October 24 that Lee Chae-sub, a researcher at KAIST for IT Convergence won ITU-T directorship.
In the race for the ITU-T directorship, joined by two other candidates from Turkey and Tunisia, Lee Chae-sub garnered a majority (87) of the 169 votes (169 out of the 193 ITU members states cast their votes this time.)
The director of ITU-T supervises and coordinates the overall work of the ITU-T and makes the final decision on international ICT standards (e.g. standards for next-generation ITCs and Internet policies). Hence the election of Lee Chae-sub as director of ITU-T is anticipated to help S. Korea’s ICTs play a bigger role in the global ICT sector.
Lee Chae-sub will hold the high-ranking position for the next four years from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2018. Besides, the director of ITU-T is allowed to serve two consecutive four-year terms, so Lee Chae-sub can assume the position for another four years if he wishes to do so.
Lee Chae-sub has contributed to the establishment of international ICT standards for the past 27 years
In the 1980s, when S. Korea was somewhat invisible in the field of international ICT standardization, Lee Chae-sub started participating in ITU’s ICT standardization activity at the age of 27. Since 2001, he has contributed appreciably to drawing up international ICT standards, assuming leading roles at ITU-T, including vice chairman of the ITU-T SG13 and chairman of Working Party 2 under the SG13.
In particular, Lee Chae-sub coordinated projects for the standardization of the IPTV and the NGN (Next generation network) in the 2000s, thereby laying the groundwork for S. Korea’s commercialization of IPTV and NGN.
Furthermore, Lee Chae-sub is highly rated for his professionalism within the ITU: both the former and current executive bodies of ITU have carried out numerous projects in cooperation with Lee. He is also an advisor to the ITU on telecommunication policies of Lebanon, Serbia, etc.
Since Lee Chae-sub decided to run for election, the Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) had made all-out efforts to boost his electoral fortunes, considering supporting his bid for the ITU-T directorship as a national task to move forward with the government’s creative economy initiative. The two ministries joined forces with all of the nation’s diplomatic establishments abroad, including the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea in Geneva, in order to win over 192 ITU member states.
Making overtures to representatives from ITU member states at the preparatory meetings for the 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, held in the US and the EU, the MSIP also took advantage of bilateral meetings with ministers or vice ministers and of various international conferences in stumping for candidate Lee Chae-sub. As for ITU member states where there is no diplomatic office of S. Korea, the MSIP contacted their diplomatic missions in S. Korea.
Making the campaign for Lee Chae-sub one of MOFA’s major tasks for international organizations’ 2014 elections, MOFA also pulled out all the stops through the nation’s diplomatic establishments abroad.
“Along with S. Korea’s hosting of the 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Busan, Lee Chae-sub’s election as director of ITU-T is another feat the nation has achieved since it joined the ITU nearly 60 years ago. It will reaffirm the nation’s ICT global leadership and lay the foundation for the nation to evolve into a power nation in international ICT policy making and diplomacy,” the two ministries said.
By Cheon Tae-un(ctu@koreaittimes.com)
