[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, November 24 2007] Post Tower champions new skyline, new era of postal service

For those who still think of red mailboxes and postmen as a symbol of the post office in Korea, it is time to jettison your old archetype and get with the times.

Myeongdong, shopping district in downtown Seoul, officially welcomed a new addition to its skyline on Thursday (Nov. 22) as Korea Post celebrated the opening of its environment-friendly, high-tech Post Tower. The Minister of Information and Communication Yoo Young-hwan and 250 participants attended the celebration.

The tower, built on the site of Korea Post’s old headquarters, extends a 124-year history to a new era for central Seoul -- transforming its old box-shaped building into an intelligent structure with state-of-the-art technology.

To maximize energy efficiency, the 21-story Post Tower is equipped with a hot water supply system using geothermal energy and solar energy inverters. The tower has an automatic mail sorting system, online banking and distribution, an office network and automatic parking control systems using the latest IT technology infrastructure. It also has a videoconference room that enables users to run a videoconference with simultaneous interpreting equipment involving up to eight languages.

For first-comers who often lose their ways at the office, the tower provides broadcasting service and multiple channel video messages based on a multimedia distribution system inside the building that even guides visitors to empty parking spots.