BUSAN < invest Korea

According to Yonhap News,

(SEOUL=Yonhap News) South Korea's ICT ministry said Tuesday it is ready to kick off the United Nations' International Telecommunications Union (ITU) gathering set to open this month, adding the event will become a turning point for the country to emerge as the leader in the ICT industry.

"Through the event, South Korea will become a worthy leader of ICT-related diplomacy and bolster social awareness on the importance of the ICT," said the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.

The 19th International Telecommunications Union Plenipotentiary Conference in Busan, referred to as PP-14, will take place in the country's largest port city, located 453 kilometers southeast of Seoul, from Oct. 20 through Nov. 7. The city will greet some 3,000 government delegates from 193 countries, along with some 150 ministers and minister-level officials.

The ministry said it has added a technological touch to the event, making participants use smart devices instead of pen and paper during meetings. They will also be given access to the latest updates of the event around the clock, allowing them to actively engage in discussions.

Its state-of-the-art networking devices will allow thousands to be linked at the same time. South Korea-based Samsung Electronics Co. will provide a wireless network while Ubiquoss Inc. will set up fixed-line services for the conference, providing participants with a more favorable environment, it added.

The ministry said it has suggested "harnessing the benefits of convergence though the utilization of ICT Applications" and "facilitating Internet of Things (IoT) to prepare for a globally connected world," as the main agendas of the event, adding the two areas lie on the center of South Korea's creative economy drive.

Also one of the key pledges of President Park Geun-hye, the concept of the creative economy is to boost the economy by turning innovative ideas into businesses through technology, while generating business opportunities by converging different industries.

The conference, held every four years, decides on the strategic direction of the organization and elects new leaders. It marks the first time for South Korea to hold an ITU conference and the second time for Asia, after Japan hosted the event in 1994.

colin@yna.co.kr

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