Asia IT Ministers` Summit to be Established at Seoul Meeting

The Asia IT Ministers` Summit has a founding conference or 1st meeting at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul on the 1st.

According to the Ministry of Information and Communication on the 31st last month, 14 ministers including Richard Alston from Australia, Takenaka Heijo from Japan, and 9 deputy ministers. Representatives of total 23 countries are discussing the solution for the regional gap in digital technology.

They will close the meeting by declaring `Seoul IT Declaration` on the 1st. This declaration includes the measure bridging the digital divide of the region, digitalizing cultural heritage, and establishing infrastructure for high speed Internet network in Asia.

MIC Minister Yang Seung-taik will stress in his keynote address that Asian countries should cooperate to introduce the technical standard in IT preparing for the commercialization of 3rd generation mobile communication, and to raise and interchange IT people.

IT ministers from Asian countries will visit the `World Cup Plaza` in Youido, and research institutions of Korean major companies including KT, SK Telecom, and Samsung to look over the Korean IT industry.

India was decided to host the 2nd Asian IT Summit in New Delhi in May next year after competing with Pakistan for hosting.

Yang Joon-Cheol international cooperator in MIC said, “it was natural for Korea to host the 1st meeting coincided with World Cup, as Korea is the leader of IT infrastructure in Asia. ”

Im-Sook Ha artemes@donga.com