Korea¨ÑMuseum to be set up

The projected establishment of the " Korea¨ÑMuseum,¡¯¡¯ a special firm to develop online cultural contents, indicates the Ministry of Culture and Tourism`s forward-looking attitude to fostering digital contents as the nation`s core knowledge-based industry.

The Korea¨ÑMuseum plans to create database of traditional cultural assets as its initial project and then develop contents of high added-value like movies, games, animations and characters.

It also will develop contents for Internet broadcasting, e-books and cyber libraries and materials for mobile phones and equipment for IMT-2000 service.

The ministry¡¯s policy is based on the judgment that the nation is in danger of running short of software to satisfy demand among the Internet population, expected to reach 30 million people by 2005.

The plan is also meant to prepare for the projected explosion in software demand that will accompany an increase in the number of the next-generation media to more than 1,000 in 2005, when digital satellite broadcasting and IMT-2000 services are slated to kick off.

In order to cultivate sophisticated professional manpower to lead the digital era, the ministry plans to set up departments specializing in contents at high schools and colleges and open academic courses to foster professional contents producers. At the same time, programs to secure overseas marketing channels and foster specialized agents for the export of cultural contents will be promoted.

President Kim Dae-Jung, upon receiving a report on the ministry¡¯s plans, said, "If we develop our contents industry, we will be able to advance into the international market and win worldwide attention.¡¯¡¯ He urged the ministry to do its work with the mindset that "the fate of the nation rest on the contents industry.¡¯¡¯

Along with its plans to foster the contents industry, the ministry briefed the President on major policy programs aimed at improving "quality of life.¡¯¡¯

The ministry resolved to build storage facilities for stage utilities at a cost to taxpayers of two billion won, the aim being to support the performing arts field at a time when it is suffering from financial difficulties. It also unveiled plans to increase the number of cultural programs aimed at the general public to 2,000 a year from the current 1,200.

It will form the "Cultural Policy Committee of the 21st Century¡¯¡¯ to develop mid- and long-term cultural policies and construct a "comprehensive cultural information network¡¯¡¯ connecting major cultural agencies and organizations.

To promote sustained exchanges and cooperation between South and North Korea, the ministry will seek to hold inter-Korean culture ministers¡¯ talks at the earliest possible date.

The ministry hopes that the "South-North agreement on exchanges and cooperation¡¯¡¯ will be concluded in the projected talks, and that two inter-Korean sightseeing courses linking Seoul-Kaesong-Pyongyang-Mt. Myohyang and Sokcho-Rajin-Mt. Chilbo will be introduced.

The ministry also decided to set up the "Foundation for the Overseas Promotion of the Korean Language.¡¯¡¯

Under the program, the ministry will inaugurate the "Korean Literature Translation Center¡¯¡¯ this month to introduce Korean literature overseas and create circumstances conducive to a Korean writer winning the Nobel Literature Prize.

Critics pointed out that the ministry¡¯s programs for this year are mere rehashes of existing projects or are based on unrealistic expectations. Many observers questioned the feasibility of having the Korea¨ÑMuseum founded at the government`s initiative, especially since it will be in charge of developing such diverse contents.

Kim Cha-Su kimcs@donga.com