ICT Minister Choi Confident of S. Korea’s Successful Hosting of 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference
ICT Minister Choi Confident of S. Korea’s Successful Hosting of 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference
  • by Korea IT Times(info@koreaittimes.com)
  • 승인 2014.10.19 05:14
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SEOUL, KOREA -The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, often referred to as the ICT Olympics, will kick off on October 20 in S. Korea’s largest port city of Busan. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), is the oldest international organization dedicated to ICTs. The ITU, originally founded in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union, became the leading specialized agency of the UN for ICTs in 1947.

Choi Yang-hee, Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning

 

The 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-14 or PP-14 Busan), the top ICT policy-making event where ministerial-level officials from the ITU’s 193 member states get together to decide on ICT policies, will take place for three weeks from October 20 to November 7. PP-14 Busan has been in the spotlight because the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference has not been held in Asia for two decades since it was hosted by Japan in 1994. The S. Korean government expects that S. Korea’s global competitiveness in the global ICT sector would be appreciably enhanced if S. Korea’s proposal of agenda items, i.e. ICT convergence and the Internet of Things (IoT), were accepted and included in the PP-14’s final resolution.

Choi Yanghee, Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning, plans to hold a slew of bilateral or multilateral meetings with ICT ministers from ITU member states in a bid to make the nation’s various ICTs and resources known to the rest of the world. Minister Choi is also poised to cement the host nation’s international profile as a global ICT powerhouse by showing off the nation’s advanced ICTs in front of ITU member states and to contribute to the global ICT sector’s co-prosperity by presenting visions for the future of the global ICT sector.

The following are excerpts from the Korea IT Times’ interview with ICT Minister Choi.

 

Q: How significant is it that S. Korea plays host to the 19th ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, which is regarded as the highest-level ICT summit in the world

A: The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference -- the top ICT policy-making event where ministerial-level officials from the ITU’s 193 member states gather under one roof to decide on ICT policies – is often referred to as the ICT Olympics since it takes place for three weeks every four years. After S. Korea joined the ITU back in 1952, the ITU technically assisted S. Korea in rebuilding its communications infrastructure, which had been burnt to the ground during the Korean War.

Since then, S. Korea has made a quantum leap in ICTs in less than half a century. In the late 1990s, the S. Korea government started to sink its teeth into nurturing broadband Internet services as one of the key infrastructures needed for economic growth. As a result, the nation now boasts an Internet penetration rate of 80% (over 40 million users); 23.3 out of every 100 people enjoy access to broadband Internet services. S. Korea came out on top among 157 nations in the ITU’s the ICT Development Index (IDI), for four consecutive years (2009-2013), thereby successfully projecting itself as the most advanced nation in ICTs.

Hence it is very meaningful that S. Korea, now an undisputed global ICT powerhouse, is about to set forth ways forward and make contributions to the world’s co-prosperity at the upcoming 19th ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. I am confident that the PP-14 Busan will be remembered as the most successful one in the ITU’s 150-year history.

Q: Could you tell us about what will be discussed at the PP-14 Busan and what kinds of agenda items S. Korea will propose

A: Since the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference is the ITU’s highest-level decision-making event where final decisions on current ICT issues and future directions for ICT policies are made, ICT policies (such as ICT standards, Internet-related issues, the utilization of radio frequencies and satellite orbits and regulations on communications); technical issues and how to run the ITU over the next four years will be discussed. Specifically speaking, the PP-14 Busan will cover a wide range of issues, from tasks necessitating close global cooperation (e.g. international Internet-related public policy, global digital divide, disaster management and cyber security), and pending issues related to ICT standards and the management of radio frequencies and satellite orbits to newly emerging issues raised by new technologies and services.

Q: Since the PP-14 is an event solely dedicated to ICTs, it is expected to be different from other intentional conferences. What is unique about the PP-14

A: Of course, the PP-14 will be decked out with state-of-the-art conferencing equipment that lives up to S. Korea’s reputation as a global ICT powerhouse. And we will pay extra attention to making PP-14 participant-friendly. First of all, all the meetings will go “paperless” thanks to fixed and wireless broadband Internet networks. And remote conferencing systems will be put to use to provide those who cannot come to Busan with seamless access to meetings.

Above all, we will use homegrown fixed, wireless network equipment in order to impress ICT ministers and delegations from ITU’s 193 member states with our advanced ICTs. It will serve as such a great word-of-mouth marketing opportunity. What’s more, we plan to release a mobile app that offers conference attendees a one-stop access to varied services, such as information on PP-14, transportation, accommodations, tourism, etc.

Meanwhile, in order to globally promote S. Korea’s new ICTs, we will carry out trial runs of Giga Wi-Fi services, 10-gigabit Internet services and ultra HD broadcasts around the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), the venue of the 19th ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. Besides, we’ve already set up a pavilion where people can have hands-on experience with information and communications devices specially designed for people with disabilities.

Q: I heard that S. Korea has entered the race to grab a seat on the ITU Council and a Korean candidate is running for Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (ITU-T). Why does S. Korea strive to play a bigger role within the ITU

A: First of all, a new lineup of ITU member states that will constitute the ITU Council will be selected. S. Korea is running to become a seven-term ITU Council member. By sharing our experience in successfully implementing strategies for broadband service expansion in the 1990s with ITU member states, we look to narrow the digital divide across the world and play a part in drawing up policies on cutting-edge ICTs (e.g. IoT) and ensuring the sustainable development of ICTs.

Second, a new director of the ITU-T will be elected at the upcoming PP-14. The director of the ITU-T wields enormous clout in drawing up international ICT standards, such as mobile communications, IPTV, cyber security, RFID, etc. As is the case in dealing with the issues of next-generation communication networks and international Internet-related public

policy, the ITU-T’s policies have set future directions for not only the global ICT industry but also intentional politics and the economics of the world. If our candidate for the top position, Dr. Lee Jae-seop, takes the helm of the ITU-T, we believe, he would make great contributions to the development of the global ICT industry as well as the advancement of the ITU because he has devoted his life to developing future networks, one of the ITU-T’s key areas of interest, for the past 27 years.

Q: PP-14 is such a high-profile international event, attended by ministerial-level officials from 193 countries. Could you tell us about your preparations for making the PP-14 a safe event

A: The S. Korea government has rigorously pooled government-wide resources in order to make PP-14 a great success. The government staffed the organizing committee for the PP-14 with 20 members, including the Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning, vice ministers of 15 government ministries and 20 experts from the private sector. To ensure the safety of participants, we have put up an all-source situation room (ASSR) and carefully drawn up case by case response plans. An emergency response system has also been set up to deal with emergencies promptly. There will be police presence around the BEXCO; infirmaries will be set up. Furthermore, situation rooms are installed in each airport to provide maximum security and stability.

The government has put up an on-site ASSR so as to mount swift responses to various problems efficiently and seamlessly. Hotlines have also been installed in each security area. And we are running Safety Response Consultative Group, comprised of officials from varied safety-related agencies, to responsd to tricky emergency situations effectively and swiftly. In addition, in the event of large-scale emergencies, an emergency taskforce, comprised of officials from the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the Busan Metropolican City government, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, the Busan Metropolitan City Fire and Safety Management Department, KEPCO, KT, BEXCO, etc., will be set in motion.

Bexco, foreground the night scene

Q: PP-14 is a government-to-government conference, it seems somewhat off-limits to the general public. Is there any event for the general public

A: In order to maximize socioeconomic benefits of the nation’s hosting of PP-14, we will hold a variety of special events for the general public and ICT companies on the sidelines of PP-14. A case in point is World IT Show, the nation’s largest ICT exhibition, scheduled to take place on October 20-23 at BEXCO’s Exhibition Center 2. Visitors to World IT Show will be given great opportunities to see where S. Korea’ ICTs stand today and where they are headed. Also in the pipeline is Global ICT Premier Forum, slated for October 27 -28 at BEXCO Auditorium. Distinguished ICT gurus in and outside S. Korea and CEOs will attend Global ICT Premier Forum to predict the future of the ICT sector and discuss policy issues.

On October 25, a variety of programs (e.g. celebrations, performances and talk concerts) will be held at BEXCO Auditorium in order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of U-Clean Concert, designed to communicate with the youth and help them have valuable cultural experiences. Also in the wings are Science & Creativity Festival (designed to allow the public to have hands-on experience with science and culture), Busan International Fireworks Festival 2014, 5G Global Summit, etc.

Q: What kind of changes will the nation’s hosting of PP-14 bring to S. Korea

A: Host nation S. Korea, as the chair of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, will preside over the entire process of the event from the beginning to the end of PP-14. By holding a series of bilateral or multilateral meetings with leaders from developed and developing nations, S. Korea will set a new milestone in its ICT, science and technology diplomacy.

To that end, we will distribute copies of ICT Practices in Korea to member states before the opening of PP-14. And we will offer them opportunities to visit out major organizations and ICT facilities, with a view to realizing brisk international cooperation. We will also make efforts to continue to maintain cooperative relations with ITU member states after PP-14 in order to help domestic ICT companies enter overseas markets. In addition, for the sake of the world’s balanced ICT development, we will help developing nations lay the foundations for ICT development.

By Cheon Tae-un(ctu@koreaittimes.com)

     Kim Yu-na(yuna@koreaittimes.com)


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