Seoul Digital Forum lets the world know of Korea's digital experience
The Seoul Digital Forum 2005 and World ICT Summit May 18-20 was concluded amid success in that it gave the world a
glimpse of Korea's digital experience and ongoing efforts. The event, in its second year, drew leaders of the global IT
industry as well as ministers in charge of information and communication from 12 countries.
Among the major figures attending the event held at the Shilla Hotel were Irwin Jacobs, chairman of the U.S. mobile
chipmaker Qualcomm; George Colony, chairman of the U.S.-based consultancy Forrester Research; former U.S. Vice President
Al Gore; and Michael Powell, former chairman of the U.S. FCC.
While last year's forum was focused on the theme of convergence to highlight the ubiquitous trend that connects people
to the Internet at any time and any place, this year's event concentrated on digital outlook for the future with a more
practical approach in business, social and cultural issues. The core of which rested with none other than the experience
of digital Korea.
That is to say, participants in the event could check with the ongoing transition toward a digital ubiquitous society by
discussing the experiences Korea went through on the path to achieving advanced ICT infrastructure and commercialization
of next-generation services.
Being a definite leader in the mobility area such as digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) and WiBro in terms of
technology development and commercialization, Korea was held up as a point man of a grand strategy dubbed IT839, the
Korean government's blueprint for a ubiquitous society.
In sum, the Seoul Digital Forum 2005 and World ICT Summit can be described as an event endowed with ubiquitous-related
innovations and progress from the vantage point of which future society was envisaged.
Experience in digital Korea figured conspicuously when there was a brisk exchange of opinions about convergence related
to communication and broadcasting between foreign visitors and Korean entrepreneurs. The foreigners were all ears to
what Korean experts had to relate about the latest trends of profitability and consumers' accommodation of new
technology and services. For one thing, in a session devoted to the Future of 3G and Mobile Technology, foreign
participants took a keen interest in DMB and artificial intellectual service being promoted by SK Telecom.
Unlike in the past, foreign participants were very interested in how an exclusive values chain was translated into an
all-inclusive values chain, thereby goods and services becoming mutually integrated. They were eager to elicit from
Korean businessmen how to manage businesses and the shift in earnings structure as Korea was ushering in the era of
convergence.