President Park urges international community to close ICT gap

President Park Geun-hye has urged international community to actively tackle the gap in Information Communications Technology (ICT), aiming that ICT can become a technology to improve human rights and welfare for all human beings beyond the wall of region, nation, gender and social class.

“The average Internet utilization rate reaches 78 percent in advanced nations while that of developing countries is mere 32 percent,” President Park said at the opening ceremony for 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference held in Busan Exhibition & Convention Center on Monday.

“Through rapid development of Internet and mobile communication, ICT has served as a catalyst to change the world and share knowledge in all areas of human society, such as politics, economy, society and culture," the president said. "The international community must be prepared against concerns that super-connected digital revolution would widen the ICT gaps across the nations and regions.”

“In 1980, Korea was lagging behind in the telecommunications industry, with its telephone penetration rate at a meager 7 percent. However, Korea has become an ICT leader only in 30 years, ranking top in the list of ICT development index and UN digital government index. Korea will exert its efforts to share experiences and know-hows for economic development utilizing the ICT,” said the president.

President Park also put emphasis on global collaboration, saying, “Internet of Things (IoT) is now tearing down the barriers between cyber space and the real world security, which results in increase of risks across the entire society. Global response must be strengthened against cyber threat.”

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), ICT-specialized international organization under UN, holds a plenipotentiary conference every four years to determine major policies in the global information communication. It has been 20 years for an Asian country to hold ITU Plenipotentiary Conference since Japan joined in 1994. About 3,000 government representatives including ICT related ministers and vice ministers from 170 countries are expected to attend the conference in Busan, while the total attendance is forecast to reach 300,000. The conference will be continued through Nov. 7. Korea’s biggest ICT exhibit "World IT Show" will be also held in Bexco until Thursday. At the World IT Show, 403 domestic and overseas companies are participating.