Yeon Choul-woong (Korea IT Times)
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Gyeonggi Province, led by Governor Kim Moon-soo, is actively pushing ahead with building IT-based social welfare safety net, a senior official of the province said.

Korea is one of the world’s IT powerhouses and Gyeonggi Province is the production base and the center of technology development of such global IT companies as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, said Yang Jae-soo, advisor to the governor of the province for information & communications.

“The province will actively foster IT convergence technology, green growth and ubiquitous technology as the next-generation new growth engines to upgrade citizens’ welfare level and create more jobs,” Yang said.

“Related to this, we will make all-out efforts to maximize synergy effects by applying IT technology to semiconductor, display, BT, NT, automobile and textile & material sectors,” he said.

“In addition, we will graft ubiquitous technology on new generation energy industry in keeping with the government’s campaign for green growth. For instance, we will foster solar energy industry, supply LED and build various u-IT-based environment, including u-City, u-floriculture and u-healthcare,” said the special advisor to Gov. Kim.

He also said that the province plans to build “Gyeonggi G-free zone” jointly with communication operators to enable use of wireless Internet everywhere in the province, by 2014, leading the mobile integration communication revolution.

“Through construction of information infrastructure, we can create favorable environments for both residents and enterprises, which will lead to strengthening of cooperative system and smooth communication,’ said Yang.

Besides, Gyeonggi Province will build an industrial security belt and create a special zone for safety-related companies, while operating the cyber safety control center for small and medium-sized enterprises, he said.

Mecca of contents industry

Commenting that the importance of the cultural contents industry is growing owing to speedy development of industrial structure, high value added and big effects for creation of employment, Yang said Gyeonggi Province plans to foster content industry as a future-oriented growth engine.

“In keeping with the government’s goal of achieving per capita national income of USD 40,000, Gyeonggi Province plans to raise per capita output in the province from USD 15,000 in 2008 to USD 40,000 in 2019 by developing contents industry,” said the advisor.

To this end, the province is propelling to create contents industry cluster comprising game, video, cartoon and publications, foster manpower in the industry, as well as build a mutual cooperation system between private and government sectors and between large and smaller companies, he said.

“As part of efforts to build the content industry cluster, we will actively foster the game industry in Seongnam City, cartoon and animation in Bucheon City, broadcasting and video in Goyang City and publication in Paju City,” he explained.

The province attracted the global game hub center in June 2009, opened the game commercialization support center in September 2009 and established the Gyeonggi mobile app support center in June 2010. It plans to establish the Gyeonggi contents company support center in August this year.

It will also extend support to small and medium-sized companies for their content manufacture, overseas exports and activation of performance & video businesses.

“In line with the government’s efforts to pull down the high unemployment rate for youths, the province will actively foster 1,300 young people as professional manpower in the content industry,’ said Yang.

For the first time among provincial governments, it will create KRW 20 billion won in a video-specialized fund to extend financial supports to 3D movies, games and cartoon manufacturers facing shortages of business funds.

“By systematically supporting promising and future-oriented companies, we will foster Gyeonggi Province as the Mecca of the content industry representing Asia,” he said.

IT-based welfare policy

For children of the underprivileged, Gyeonggi Province plans to establish an IPTV study room at all of the province’s 621 regional children centers, he said. Through the facility, the province will provide real-time EBS broadcasting and a variety of other educational programs on curricula for primary, middle and high schools, English and Chinese characters.

It also set aside KRW 1.24 billion won in budget for informatization projects for the underprivileged in 2010. The fund will be used for expansion of informatization education for the disabled and senior citizens, assistance for informatization of agricultural and fishery villages and a campaign to send PCs to social welfare facilities.

Noting that a growing number of residents in the province are using wireless Internet in keeping with an increase in the number of smartphone users, Yang said, “We have already developed application programs for smartphone on traffic information, libraries and tourism in the province. We will also continue expanding the services in the future.

“For instance, we plan to offer information on bus routes, real estate and jobs to residents in the province by the end of July,” he said.

The advisor also said that Gyeonggi Province will exert best efforts for development of various applications for smartphones and activation of mobile content industry through close cooperation with Samsung Electronics and KT.

In particular, it is pushing ahead with establishing Wi-Fi zone in some 3,000 public places in the 31 cities and gun in the province by the end of this year under cooperation with communication operators to help residents use wireless Internet free of charge, he said.

Along with this, the province will pursue a flexible working system based on ubiquitous IT, called “Smart Office” or “Smart Work” to enhance efficiency of administration, said Yang.

“Besides, we will push for the “Smart Healthcare” campaign for residents’ effective health management and the “Smart Water” project to supply clean and pure water,” he added.

http://www.koreaittimes.com/story/9635/gyeonggi-province-pushes-it-based-social-welfare-safety-net