Internet industry likely to be scaled at 56 tril. won for 2001

The economic scale of Korea`s Internet industry is expected to reach 56 trillion won this year, up 41% from 39.85 trillion won last year. The Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI) made the estimate based on its recent survey of 1,860 domestic Internet enterprises.

The number of those employed in the Internet industry was 75,000 last year and per capita turnover was about 532 million won, according to the survey results. The growth rate in the employment volume was 36.8% in 2000 and the total number of employees in the Internet industry is likely to reach 86,000 this year.

Boosted by the robust growth in the Internet industry last year, Korea far outpaced the United States, the undisputed Internet leader, in terms of growth rates in employment volume and turnover. Korean growth in these areas reached 36.8% and 18.2%, respectively, compared with 22.6% and 11.5% in the United States.

Kim Tae-Han freewill@donga.com