With the possibility of signing a Free Trade Agreement, and recognizing the close commercial relations with Colombia, we are pleased to announce the participation of the Korea in ANDICOM 2007 as Guest Nation.

South Korea, “miracle” in the development of Information technologies and communications

In this opportunity, the Republic of South Korea has the honor of being the guest Country in Andicom 2007. Korea’s development in the sector of Information Technologies and Communications (ITC) is considered as an unprecedented revolution, due to the take-off it had in such a short period of time.

Korea’s selection is also the result of the work developed by CINTEL in the Technological Mission to South Korea and China to Promote Cooperation in the Area of Mobile Telecommunications, New Generation Networks and Associate Information Technologies, in May 2006. The Mission was developed together with the University of El Bosque, with the co-sponsorship of Colciencias, and responded to the objective of looking for better practices in technological development and innovation of Information Technologies and Communications (ITC).

And this was ratified with the visit made, last October, by a commission of outstanding investigators form the Republic of South Korea led by Doctor Myuh Oh, who is one of the main responsible persons for Korea’s current development and one of Andicom 2006 academic lecturers. The distinguished visitors met with the president, Álvaro Uribe; and the minister of Communications, Maria del Rosario Guerra, and their advisors’ group, as well as with directors and members of different universities.

These two initiatives evidence the interest of the Republic of South Korea to provide advice to the Colombian government in the development of ITCs, as well as to promote exchanges at research and academic level between the two nations.

Korean revolution

During the period of the 80s, Korea established the bases for a “revolution” in telecommunications-an unimaginable change in the 70s. Additionally, the achievements in the 90s also expand the status of the Ministry of Communications (MC) whose policies guided this technical revolution.

There are five large topics that associate to this revolution:

• Reorganization of telecommunications’ administrative system. In the 80s, the telecommunications management system in Korea was restructured. The new structure considered one arm that generated the politics and regulation, another arm oriented to the business, and a third arm conformed by research and development institutes. This third arm resulted in the operation of ETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute) and KISDI (Korea Information Strategy Development Institute). 
• Complete solution to telephony infrastructure problems and telephone automation throughout the country. One of the main problems that affected the society during their quick economic growth of the 60s and 70s was the lack of telephone lines.
  In the 60s, the supply rate of telephone lines was of the order of 10.000 a year and only until 1973 this rate exceeded the 100.000 lines. Since 1981, the government has invested (1) quintillion won on the average per year, which has resulted in Korea becoming number 10 in terms of lines penetration. In 1980, penetration was 7,2; while in 1991 it was 33,7. The year 1987 was not only known as the year in which the lines unavailability problem and having to wait for lines supply was overcome, but also the year the country had an automated national telephone system. 
• Development of Electronic Switching Centers. The development of electronic switching systems is considered the most important achievement in the Korean telecommunications sector.
  Korea’s Telecommunications Research Institute (Today ETRI) was the institute in charge of all the pertinent technical operations. This development not only boosted the fast progress of Korean technology in information and communications, but it also substantially reduced expenses associated to importing equipment manufactured abroad. 
• Deregulation of terminals suppliers. Up to 1970 the Ministry was the only telephone terminals supplier, and in 1980 this aspect was deregulated and the users had the opportunity to choose among different options and, with other actions that took place in the future, a complete liberalization in terminals distribution became a reality. 
• Deregulation of public telecommunications networks and use of the electromagnetic spectrum. In 1983, facilities to connect fax, personal computers and modems were available for the public in general, through the switched public telephone network. In the past, these devices were connected using a specialized network. Likewise, the use of radio waves had been restricted until the 70s due to national security reasons and, through deregulation; this area has also been liberalized.

These five actions associated to other premises such as color television, which the government decided to broadcast in 1980 in spite of a fierce opposition, and financial safety, helped, in the early 80s, to implement measures to assure a stable investment during the formulation of the telecommunications basic plan.

It is necessary to highlight that the IT industry in Korea was the engine to recover from the crisis in the late 90s, and it emerged as the biggest industrial group that Korea leads in its economic growth. In 2005, the IT industry exported 36% of the total of the Korean exports, being wireless telephones, digital T.V sets and other IT products the most representative products. Likewise, IT industries in Korea represented 15% of the GDP for year 2005 and a contribution to economic growth of more than 46,5%,

IT839 Strategy

The development of Korean telecommunications has been defined as a miracle by many experts in telecommunications just as professor Jung-Soo KIM ,from the University of Korea, underscores in his book “Public Entrepreneurs in a Time of Turbulence: Model for Leadership in Korea.”

Doctor Myuh Oh, former Deputy Prime Minister played an important role in this process. He was one of the persons who started and led technological development and Korea’s consequent economic growth in the last 40 years. During his eight years of service, the MC led Korean information and communications policy formulation.
South Korea’s strategy of technological and scientific development in the Technologies of Information and Communications area is known as the IT839 strategy, which owes its name to the fact that it is based on 8 services, 3 infrastructures and 9 engines.

This strategy, that was introduced in February 2004 with the objective of showing a new strategic vision of the IT industry and reaching a per capita GDP of US $20.000, illustrates the government’s efforts to take Korea toward u-Korea (ubiquity Korea) that will offer the citizens a change in their lifestyle by means of the IT industry.

The eight services of the IT839 Strategy are:

1. HSDPA / W-CDMA. It is an IMT-200 service based on ATM that provides voice, images and high-speed data services in a frequency bandwidth of 2 GHz. Since the commercialization of W-CDMA in December 2003 until 2005, US $2000 million have been invested in completing the network in 23 cities. 
2. WiBro (Wireless Broadband). It is a telecommunications service that provides high-speed wireless Internet in any place, at any time, even in movement. 
3. BCS (Broadband Convergence Service). It is a new convergent service that transmits and receives different contents through its convergent broadband network (BcN-Broadband Convergent Network) in real time and upon demand. 
4. DMB/DTV Service. It is also a next generation multimedia broadcasting service that exceeds the limits of traditional broadcasting, allowing doing it through the telecommunications network. An example would be to watch high definition television while moving at a great speed. 
5. u-Home. This service encourages the use of information at a residential/regional level just as home-car, u-security and u-health based on a home network. Sixty types of u-home service are applied in 1300 houses through a pilot project since 2003. 
6. Telematics/Location Based Service. Service that provides traffic information, emergency services and logistics, based on location information. 
7. RFID / USN application service. It is a “ubiquitous” service that provides and processes information at any t5ime, in any place by providing computer and telecommunications sensor functions in objects. 
8. IT Service. It refers to the industry in general that provides IT-related services, including system planning, design, configuration and operation for companies and governments.

The three largest areas related to infrastructure are: 

1. Broadband Convergence Network. This is a next generation network that enables the convergence of telecommunications, multimedia, transmission (broadcasting) and Internet services, at any time and in any place. The goal is to provide broadband (50 to 100 Mbps) to 5 million subscribers in 2006 and 20 million subscribers in 2010. 
2. U-sensor Network. This is a basic infrastructure for the administration and inter-operation with devices or elements’ sensors. Basic technology development is being carried out for this purpose. 
3. Soft Infraware. This is software infrastructure that carries out IT convergence effectively and creates a reliable and convenient atmosphere for the user.

The nine engines have been identified as: 

1. Mobile Communications / Telematic Devices. This is used to provide a fast and clear access to multimedia information, with or without movement, via mobile communications and satellite networks. 
2. Broadband / Home Network Device. This refers to technologies and devices used to guarantee the quality of the BcN and for the home network that provides multimedia content services. 
3. Digital TV / Broadcasting Devices. The digital broadcasting technology enables the users to choose high quality contents, at any time in any place, and to enjoy added value services through intelligent T.V. sets and other devices. 
4. Next Generation Computing / Peripheral Devices. Based on network advances, peripheral computational devices are intended to be high performance, multi-functional user-centered devices, for example, wearable computers. 
5. Intelligent Service Robot. Intelligent robot technologies and devices that satisfy users demands, at any time and any place, they are a key industry for the future. 
6. Radio Frequency Identification / u-sensor Network devices. RFID/USN devices that include RFID chips, “tags”, USD readers and sensors/nodes that recognize objects and carry the information of their surrounding environment. 
7. IT Systems on Chip / Convergent Components. These are a key factor that determines IT products competitiveness and convergent technology; it is a new area where IT and nano/bio can be integrated. 
8. Embedded Software. It is software created in several devices such as vehicles, robots, industrial and medical equipment, to add value to these products. 
9. Digital Contents / Software Solution. This will be a future strategic industry that increases the value of: highly interconnected environments, intelligent and telematic service robots.

It is important to underline that the elements that form the IT839 strategy have specific goals and expected results in the generation of economic revenues for the country.

The participation of the Republic of South Korea as guest country in Andicom'2007 will take place with its national mark Dynamic Korea, which was created by Korea’s Foreign Information Service to project the country’s image and its exporting competitiveness.

In the XXII National and XIII Andean Telecommunications Congress Andicom'2007 that will be carried out in Cartagena from October 24 to 26, Dynamic Korea will bring all the experience of state and technological entities who are in the forefront of ICT, with the purpose of potentiating the development of this sector by exchanging and transferring know how, experiences and technology.