Does Digital Convergence Hold Korea's New Opportunities?

Korea Communications Conference 2009 held at COEX in Seoul from June 17-18

Digital convergence, combining communications and broadcasting, is emerging as one of the frontline industries. The broadcasting industry is shifting into an interactive service paradigm thanks to the breakneck pace of technology development, departing from a one-way delivery of programs. Digital convergence promises to have a wide range of effects on society, including the development of the media industry and quality contents.
Broadcasting and communications ministers and vice ministers of 15 countries, including Korea, Kazakhstan, Indonesia and Poland agreed to form a cooperative scheme to spread and reinvigorate convergence services, including WiBro, a wireless broadband internet technology developed by South Korea and IPTV at the Ministerial Conference on the sidelines of the Korea Communications Conference 2009 held at COEX in Seoul from June 17-18.
They also shared the view that they should take a joint stand against maladies of the development of the Internet, including personal information infringements and spam e-mail messages. The participants of the ministerial conference raved about convergence technologies and services, including handsets, IPTV, mobile services and mini-notebooks, which were demonstrated during KoreaComm 2009.
Gaku Ishizaki, senior vice minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan met with Korean officials and discussed a wide range of topics, including government-private sector collaboration and terrestrial stations' broadcasting of digital programs. Japan's broadcasting programs will go digital from July 2011, and one and one-half years later, in 2013, Korea will follow suit. The Japanese vice minister delivered a keynote speech, titled "The Future of Media Convergence: Issues in Policy and Regulation." Kazakhstan chief delegate, Aida Alzhanova agreed to cooperate in Kazakhstan? introduction of WiBro and in the info-tech sector during meetings with Korean officials. Both sides agreed that a forum and a demonstration session on WiBro and the invigoration of broadcasting-communications convergence services will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in mid-July.
Suh Byung-jo, assistant chairman of the Broadcasting and Communications Convergence Policy Office at the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) said in a policy session of the Korea Communications Conference 2009, "The Communications content industry attracts a lot of attention as a next-generation new economic growth engine, which produces higher added value." He later said, "Nowadays, the influencing power of communications media, such as TV and Internet, increases on the public. Due to this, the communications content becomes more important than in the past," he said.
True to the theme, "Feel the New Convergence for Green IT," the World IT Show 2009, which coincided with the Korea Communications Conference 2009, highlighted the latest green technologies.
Over 500 exhibitors in electronics, computing and communications participated in the four-day fair. Spectators were given an opportunity to experience Korean companies' latest mobile phones and TVs, which are not yet available in the domestic market.
LG Electronics showcased its latest mobile phones that are available in foreign markets ― Beauty Smart, Crystal, Renoir and Watch Phone. Samsung Electronics displayed its super thin 6.5 milliliter LED TVs, which were already introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas this past January, but have not yet hit the shelves. nw

Korea Communications Commission Chairman Choi See-joong and foreign participants of the Korea Communications Conference 2009 take a look into the latest gadgets on display at the World IT Show 2009.