Wednesday, September 10, 2008

DOKDO:

[Korea.net News, Government News, August 1 2008] President Lee stresses long-term, strategic response to Dokdo issue

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 31 2008] Comment by the MOFAT spokesperson on the decision of the U.S. government to restore the sovereignty designation of Dokdo

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 31 2008] Korea welcomes restored U.S. position on Dokdo sovereignty

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 30 2008] Korean military, police hold joint exercise near Dokdo

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 30 2008] PM Han visits Dokdo in protest at Japanese claims

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 29 2008] Seoul to hold joint defense drill around Dokdo

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 28 2008] Seoul launches task force on Dokdo

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 24 2008] Various measures to be taken to preclude any dispute over Dokdo

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 24 2008] Seoul strengthens gov't control over Dokdo

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 24 2008] Dokdo to be printed on 100,000-won banknotes

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 21 2008] Seoul to implement measures to make Dokdo inhabited island

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 18 2008] Gov't announces ecosystem protection project on Dokdo

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 16 2008] Dokdo issue should be coped with through a long-term strategy, not expedient measures

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 16 2008] Korea Coast Guard heightens marine security around Dokdo

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 15 2008] Clarification of President's remarks on the Dokdo issue

...

In conclusion, if the report is a part of a Japanese Government effort to cause internal strife in Korea and distort the issue of Dokdo through the media, the Korean Government will never tolerate it.

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 14 2008] President Lee pledges to take stern measures against Japan's unwarranted claim to Dokdo

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 13 2008] Cheong Wa Dae discusses dokdo, NK shooting and state records

[Korea.net News, Government News, July 9 2008] Lee urges Japan not to claim Korea's easternmost island Dokdo
[Korea.net News, Government News, July 1 2008] Gov’t to introduce e-research notes in R&D projects

Source: Ministry of Knowledge Economy

Korea's patent management body said Monday (Jun 30) that it would develop and provide a system of electronic research notes for researchers and scientists by December this year. The proposed e-research note will be used to record both the procedure of and the results of research.

Advanced countries have been making efforts to encourage researchers to use e- research notes since this is also used as important evidence to prove the main discoverer of a finding, to verify who carried out research or the reason for license contract with a company.
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 27 2008] Gov’t to ease Internet banking rules

Source: Financial Services Commission

Korea plans to ease regulations on Internet services to allow consumers to conduct online banking transactions and choose financial products more easily.

The Financial Services Commission said Thursday (June 26) in a meeting presided over by President Lee Myung-bak with the presidential office's national competitiveness council that it will revise rules and regulations to encourage financial companies to establish Internet banks.
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 27 2008] Gov't to support digital contents development projects

Source: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Thursday (June 26) that it will support the commercialization of selected digital contents technology to advance Korea's digital software industry.

The ministry said it will select four digital contents value chain projects and 13 consortiums that produce interactive contents for media convergence such as IPTV and support the commercialization of these selected projects by the end of 2009.
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 25 2008] 'APEC Seminar on Protection of Cyberspace from Terrorist Use and Attacks' to be held

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) of the Republic of Korea will host the ‘APEC Seminar on Protection of Cyberspace from Terrorist Use and Attacks' from June 26 to 27 in Seoul. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the National Cyber Security Center and the Cyber Terror Response Center of the National Police Agency will co-host the Seminar with the MOFAT, under the auspices of the Korean Institute of Criminology and the Korea Information Security Agency. About 70 government officials and cyber-terrorism experts from the APEC member states, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Council of Europe, along with private corporations such as Microsoft will take part in this seminar
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 23 2008] Local patent information system catches on overseas

Source: Ministry of Knowledge Economy

The Korea Intellectual Property Office said Monday (June 23) that it would conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of patent information system in Mongolia.

According to Korea's patent management body, the office will conduct the joint feasibility study with Mongolia from June 23 in response to the request of the Mongolian patent management body that called for Korea's participation in building a patent information system in Mongolia.
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 20 2008] African police delegation to learn Korea’s cyber crime investigation know-how

Source: Ministry of Public Administration and Security

A 15-member delegation of police education bodies from 13 African countries, including Egypt and Zimbabwe, will come to Korea to learn Korea's cyber crime investigation technology, Korea National Police University said Thursday (June 19).

The training program will be run from June 18 to July 8 so that the visiting delegation can learn various investigation technology to tackle cyber crimes, cyber fraud in e-commerce, track down Internet IP addresses to catch suspects and fight against hackers who spread viruses on the web.
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 19 2008] The Seoul Declaration for the future of the Internet economy

Source: Korea Communications Commission

The following is the full text of the Seoul Declaration adopted by 34 ministerial officials who attended the 2008 OECD Ministerial Meeting on information technology held in Seoul June 17-18.
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 18 2008] OECD vows to use Internet to address climate change

Source: Korea Communications Commission

The 2008 OECD Ministerial Meeting on information technology (IT) wrapped up its two-day run in Seoul Wednesday (June 18), with the ministers vowing to utilize the Internet to address urgent global issues such as climate change and digital piracy.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development is a Paris-based organization comprised of the world's developed economies. The last ministerial meeting on IT was held in Ottawa in 1998.

The event, under the theme "The Future of the Internet Economy," brought together more than 2,500 IT-related officials and private experts from around the world, generating in-depth discussions regarding the use of Internet in aiding global economic growth.
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 17 2008] Welcoming remarks by President Lee Myung-bak at the OECD ministerial meeting on the future of the Internet economy

Source: Office of the President

The Honorable Secretary-General Angel Gurría of OECD, ministers from around the world, global business leaders and specialists,

It is my great pleasure to meet you all here today.

On behalf of the Korean people and netizens, I extend to all of you my wholehearted welcome to the Republic of Korea.

It is significant indeed that the OECD Ministerial Meeting is being held in Korea, one of the most dynamic Internet powerhouses in the world.
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 17 2008] Gov’t to focus on u-city construction as future growth engine

Source: Ministry of Land Transport and Maritime Affairs

The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs announced Tuesday (June 17) that it will enact a new law on the construction of a ubiquitous city (u-city).

The proposed u-city law will take effect on September 29 when it passes the legislative procedure of the Ministry of Government Legislation and the government's review of public opinions from June 17 to July 7.
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 17 2008] OECD IT ministerial meeting kicks off in Seoul

Source: Korea Communications Commission

The 2008 OECD Ministerial Meeting on information technology (IT) kicked off in Seoul Tuesday (June 17), bringing together more than 2,500 IT experts and officials from around the world to discuss how the Internet can play a role in aiding economic growth.

The two-day meeting held by the world's leading economies commenced with opening remarks by Choi Si-jung, chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, welcoming remarks from the OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria and a congratulatory video speech by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 17 2008] Korea tops OECD in household Internet access: report

Source: Korea Communications Commission

Korea ranked first in terms of household access to the Internet among member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a report showed Tuesday (June 17).

According to the report released at the OECD Ministerial Meeting in Seoul, as of the end of 2007, 94 percent of Korean households had Internet access, topping the list of 31 OECD member nations.
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 16 2008] International IT culture conference opens in Seoul

Source: Ministry of Public Administration and Security

The Ministry of Public Administration and Security and the Korean Agency for Digital Opportunity & Promotion (KADO) are co-hosting an international conference on online information online culture on Monday (June 16) in Seoul.

Thomas Anderson, Chairman of the International Council of the Global Trade Center, and Advisory Board Chair of Wikimedia Foundation Angela Beesley will be present along with 150 experts and IT industry figures from both overseas and Korea for the conference on the theme of online trust and social infrastructure in the digital era, Speakers, including Thomas Anderson, who will deliver a keynote speech titled “Trust in the Digital World and Capturing Opportunities of the Future,” will share their opinions on the future of the IT industry, online culture and measures to build confidence in the digital world.
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 13 2008] Korea to host OECD IT Ministerial Meeting next week

Source: Korea Communications Commission

More than 2,500 information technology experts and officials from around the world will gather in Korea next week to discuss ways in which the Internet can play a role in aiding economic growth, organizers said Friday (June 13).

Co-hosted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) and the Korean Communications Commission, the OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy will be held in Seoul for a three day-run starting Monday (June 16), where 32 ministerial-level officials from OECD and non-OECD member states will exchange views in forums and other forms of discussion.
[Korea.net News, Government News, June 12 2008] Gov’t to install high-speed Internet in all rural areas by 2008

Source: Ministry of Public Administration and Security

The Ministry of Public Administration and Security has decided to expand its project of building high-speed Internet in farming and fishing areas in 2008.

In cooperation with Korea Telecom and local government bodies, the ministry allocated a 16 billion-won budget to establish infrastructure for high-speed Internet in up to 99.8 percent of rural areas in Korea at the end of this year so that all citizens will be able to use the Internet as an opportunity for education in remote areas.
[The Chosun Ilbo, September 10 2008] Microsoft to Launch New Korean Explorer for Free

The Korean branch of Microsoft on Tuesday said it will launch a Korean version of Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 for free from its homepage (www.microsoft.com/korea) from Sept. 17. The new version is faster and sports many more functions. For example, if users select a sentence on the screen, the web browser will automatically link them with services like dictionary, map and translator.

It also offers automatic protection from cyber attacks such as phishing, and protection of personal data used on the Internet.
[The Chosun Ilbo, September 10 2008] Busan Launches English Radio Channel

The southeastern port city of Busan is set to kick off its 24-hour English FM channel this December, broadcasting at 90.5 megahertz. Approximately 1.6 million listeners are expected to tune in from Busan city and parts of South Gyeongsang Province.
[The Chosun Ilbo, September 9 2008] High-Speed Internet TV About to Go Live

Three telecom companies have been given licenses to operate the internet protocol television (IPTV) service which enables users to watch TV over high-speed networks.

KT, Hanaro Telecom and LG Dacom, the country’s three leading broadband providers, will launch the IPTV service in late October, offering programs from terrestrial broadcasters, like Korea Broadcasting System (KBS) and Education Broadcasting System (EBS), and other live shows including movies, gaming, shopping and weather.
[The Chosun Ilbo, September 8 2008] 3 Held in Leak of GS Caltex Data

The loss of customer data at GS Caltex, Korea's second largest refinery, was potentially the largest leakage of personal information in Korea to date. DVDs containing residence registration numbers, home addresses, and phone numbers of a total of 11.25 million GS Caltex customers, including senior political and government figures, were reported to have been found in a district of bars and restaurants in the upscale Gangnam area in Seoul.

The Cyber Terror Response Center of the National Police Agency on Sunday sought arrest warrants for three people, Chung (28), an employee of GS Nextation, a GS Caltex subsidiary, Wang (28), Chung's alleged accomplice and high school classmate, and Kim (24), an acquaintance of Wang's. According to police, Chung was handling the customer database at Nextation, which operates the Caltex call center.
[The Chosun Ilbo, September 8 2008] The Taboos of the Korean Press, by Kim Dae-joong

The press should know no sanctuary, they say. It shouldn’t if it is to perform the roles of checks and criticism. Yet it does, though perhaps they should be called taboos rather than sanctuaries, not in the sense that they are too sacred for the press to criticize but that nothing is to be gained if they are. The Korean press has three taboos: region, women and religion. Nobody has defined them for us; the conclusion has been reached through long experience. It is perhaps because region, women and religion concern something innate and metaphysical.

The press had big trouble with regional issues. On issues of regional discrimination, everyone pretends to be resolute, but they are so sensitive that nobody can get around them. But there are minor issues that do not go to the heart of essential regional sentiment. An example is the description of the people of a certain province as hard headed “potatoes.” Unintentional use of the common phrase invited a newspaper boycott drive for this newspaper on the grounds that we disparaged the province. There is thus a widespread feeling among journalists that even if they try to give fair and balanced coverage to a certain region, the response of the locals will be lukewarm at best.
[The Chosun Ilbo, September 5 2008] Man Held Over Data Leak of 5.9 Million Subscribers

Police are investigating the suspected leak of the personal information of 5.9 million Internet users registered with high-speed Internet providers KT, Hanaro Telecom, LG Powercomm and Onse Telecom. The leaked information was reportedly used for sales purpose of one telecom company.
[The Chosun Ilbo, September 5 2008] Gov't Planning Media Reforms to Spur Competition

The government plans to ease regulations on media ownership to promote investment and increase competitiveness. The Korea Communications Commission in a policy report to Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday said it may ease the ban that prohibits conglomerates from owning a media company, and on cross-media ownership that prevents newspaper companies from owning terrestrial and cable TV stations.

It will also review ways to stimulate competition in mobile communications field by allowing voice communications in WiBro, the wireless Internet service or, in other words, legalizing Internet telephony.
[The Chosun Ilbo, September 5 2008] Video-Transmitting Helmet to Be Introduced by 2013

Army combatants will wear new high-tech bulletproof helmets which can transmit video data and whose camouflage colors change automatically according to the season starting in 2013.

The Army on Thursday said the Agency for Defense Development has been developing the new helmet with a goal to complete its development next year. The new helmet will be supplied to combat units from 2013 after a field test.
[The Chosun Ilbo, September 5 2008] President Receives KCC Briefing on Boosting Broadcast Industries

The Lee Myung-bak administration outlined long-awaited plans for the broadcast industry, previously delayed due to the controversy over U.S beef imports.

At the Korea Communications Commission's briefing Thursday, President Lee agreed with the commission's market-oriented measures geared towards turning the nation's broadcasting and communications industries into engines of economic growth.

The KCC briefed the President on integrating the broadcast and telecommunication industries for greater production capacity and more employment opportunities by such streamlined services as Internet Protocol TV launching in October.
[The Chosun Ilbo, September 4 2008] New Anti-Spam SMS Regulations Introduced

The Korea Communications Commission on Wednesday issued revised anti-spam guidelines limiting the number of SMS texts a mobile phone user can send to a maximum 1,000 a day.

But an exception will be allowed when users obtain advance permission to send a large volume of informative messages.

The KCC plans to ask for a special judicial right to crack down on illegal spam starting this month.
[The Chosun Ilbo, September 3 2008] President Lee to Hold Live Public Forum Broadcast

President Lee will take part in a discussion with a panel of experts and 90 randomly selected citizens on live television.

The president is expected to talk about pending economic and political issues with the panelists during the hour-and-a-half broadcast scheduled for next Tuesday evening.
[The Chosun Ilbo, September 2 2008] Korea's IT Industry Taps into the Future

Computers will be embedded in every nook and cranny of our daily lives in the future.

Swiping your card at a digital information kiosk at any given transit point will load your travel preferences and tell you the local traffic situation and an expected arrival time. Stepping into an automated physical exam booth will allow you to be diagnosed by an onscreen doctor.
DOKDO:

[The Chosun Ilbo, September 5 2008] Addressing Japan's Dokdo Disease, by Kang Chun-suk

[The Chosun Ilbo, September 1 2008] Japan's Defense White Paper to Mention Dokdo
[The Hankyoreh, September 8 2008] S. Korea’s resident registration system leads to increase in information leaks

Companies have been aggressive in collecting the numbers, but not always vigilant about keeping it safe

“We are significantly reinforcing security on computer servers containing personal information. However, we always feel uneasy about having subscribers’ personal data.”

An official at an Internet company, who made the remark, said he is concerned about massive leaks of customer data such as the one at GS Caltex. On September 7, police arrested four suspects on charges of leaking the personal information of more than 11 million GS Caltex customers. The suspects were known to have first reported the massive data leak to the press, a move aimed at increasing the value of the information.
[The Hankyoreh, September 8 2008] Communication devices

The National Intelligence Service has email, phone call records, text messages, and other tools of communication at its fingertips. The National Archives opens the door and, seeing its many powers, says, “You win!”
[The Hankyoreh, September 5 2008] Broadcast contagion

President Lee Myung-bak says he wants to “put an end to contagious information.”

He’s got his man at the broadcaster KBS now, busily inspecting the evening news, which among other things will report that average household debt is 40 million won.

“Let’s see, is there any contagious information here?”
[The Hankyoreh, September 3 2008] Strike vote at YTN

Union members of YTN, a 24-hour news broadcasting company, vote on whether to strike at their headquarters in downtown Seoul on September 2. Voting will continue until September 5.

One day before voting began, the new president, Gu Bon-hong, who was a close aide of President Lee Myung-bak during the presidential campaign, made changes to YTN’s staff. But 24 reporters resisted the order and they are now awaiting the union’s decision, though they will keep their positions. This is an unprecedented event in the history of the Korean media.