Next 10 Years of Internet Economy

In Seoul, World Leaders Will Discuss How Digital Technologies Can Make People Happier

By Cho Jin-seo

Staff Reporter

Sometimes a sheet of paper can change the course of human history. The American Declaration of Independence in 1776, Karl Marx' Communist Manifesto in 1848 and the Cairo Declaration in 1943 were pivotal documents that shaped modern history and are still influencing the everyday life of people around the world.

On June 18, Seoul may witness a making of another historic document ― the Seoul Resolution. More than 40 government representatives from the world's most influential countries and as many leaders from the civilian sector will collectively come up with ways on how the Internet and other digital technologies could be used to improve human life and society.

This may sound dull. But ideas that seem the most mundane at the moment often turn out to be the greatest ideas in history, said the meeting's host in Seoul.

``Technology is not the main agenda of the meeting. It's more about human philosophy,'' says Song Do-kyun, head of the Korean Preparation Office of the OECD Ministerial Meeting for Internet Economy's Future.

``The Seoul Resolution may have no fun in it. But we expect it to be one of the most important documents in human cultural development. And it will surely be so. Once it is announced, everyone will refer to it when talking about our future or starting a new business.''

It is the second time for the OECD nations to send their envoys to discuss the role of the Internet, since 1998's conference in Ottawa, Canada. This time, the meeting carries more responsibility than it did 10 years ago since the Internet economy has grown into an integral part of people's lives and will become even more so in the coming years.

If the manifesto, of which the official name will be the ``Seoul Ministerial Declaration on the Future of the Internet Economy,'' is to be so important, then exactly what ideas and plans will be included in the Seoul Manifesto? What is the picture of the ``digital age'' the great leaders of the world are drawing in their minds?

The final piece of the collective work of 42 government envoys and 41 business and academic leaders will not be disclosed until the closing ceremony on June 18. But the OECD's IT policy division has given a guideline for the basic ideas to be implemented in the Seoul manifesto. They are convergence, creativity and confidence ― the three Cs of the digital age.

Seoul's Role

Beside the 3-C factors, the Seoul meeting will also bring up the issue of reducing the gap between the digitally rich and the digitally poor of the world.

The OECD guideline itself recognizes that the first of the common challenges that the Internet economy is facing is making Internet access available to everyone and everywhere. And Song, the head of the meeting's preparation office, says South Korea has the noble responsibility of leading the digital crusade.

For example, new technologies such as WiMAX wireless Internet, mobile TV and third-generation mobile network can link the most deserted corners of the globe to the developed world without the need of wires, he says.

``South Korea is a leading nation in information technology, so we want to lead and support developing nations in this aspect,'' he said. ``This is our determination and our message. And we can't be happier if it transfers to the OECD's resolution.''

This will of Seoul should not overshadow the main theme of the meeting, Song says. Technically, the main host of the Ministerial Meeting is the OECD. The primary role of Seoul's Preparation Office is to provide venues, accommodation and other facilities to the visitors and to make sure there are no disruptions during the event.

However, it was not a random choice that the OECD selected Seoul as the place for such a historic meeting. Song says South Korea's advanced information and communication industry and market are a big attraction to the participants.

Another reason is Korea's well-known expertise and the warm welcome of its citizens in holding international events, as shown in the 1988 Olympic Games, 2002 World Cup Football and 2005 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.

Intelligence agencies are working together with the Preparation Office to provide watertight security for guests. Related ministries as well as the Seoul city government are willingly giving necessary regulatory and manpower supports.

All those efforts are not free, of course. The Preparation Office is spending 8.2 billion won ($8.2 million) of Korean taxpayers' money, but it estimates the guests from all over the world will spend 23 billion won in Seoul during the event period. And the Korea Tourism Organization hopes that there will be a ripple effect of 200 billion won when the guests return home and promote South Korea to their people.

On top of these calculations, many see that it was a right appointment of Song, who is the vice chairman of Korean Communication Commission, as the head of the Preparation Office.

Before coming to the public agency this March, he has served as the president of SBS, a major TV broadcaster. There he has experiences of hosting the annual Seoul Digital Forum, one of the largest gatherings of technology people in the world.

One of the most impressive guests Song had at the Digital Forum was Bill Clinton in 2005. In order to make a dramatic appearance onto the stage from behind the curtain, the former U.S. president didn't hesitate to keep himself for five minutes in a narrow, smelly space right next to the kitchen of Hyatt, he recalls.

``I was amazed how global leaders like him prepare themselves for the mass media and the mass audience. I think such experiences will help us successfully arrange this meeting,'' he said.

The 3-Cs: `Benefiting From Convergence'

A glimpse into the guidelines released to the participants prior to the meeting by the OECD gives a general idea what the meeting will be about ― the 3Cs, of which the first item is convergence.

Voice, video and data services are migrating rapidly towards platforms based on the Internet Protocol. Good examples are the Internet-protocol TV (IPTV) services such as KT's Mega TV and Hanarotelecom's Hana TV, and the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services like Skype.

As such Internet-based telecommunication services get more popular, technological and bureaucratic challenges have emerged. All devices connected to the Internet need IP addresses to communicate. As the convergence of communication platforms moves towards including the Internet Protocol, IP addresses become crucial to the increased scalability of the Internet and thus to the continued growth of the Internet economy.

Deploying the newer version of the Internet Protocol, IP version 6 (IPv6), is necessary to enable billions of people and devices to connect to the Internet. The current pool of unallocated IP version 4 (IPv4) address blocks is declining and will be depleted within the next few years. Shortages are already acute in some regions, including South Korea.

In Seoul, the OECD wants to underscore the need to create a policy environment conducive to the timely deployment of IPv6 while maintaining security and stability, as well as service continuity. It will also encourage the development of services that provide consumers with a range of quality products at competitive prices.

'Promoting Creativity and Innovation'

The Internet and Information-communication technologies are profoundly changing how research and creative activity are undertaken with potentially major impacts on innovation and growth, thanks to cutting-edge techniques such as distributed research, grid and cloud computing and virtual simulation.

Promoting a culture of openness and sharing of research data among public research communities is thus a major agenda of the Seoul meeting. It will urge the government of each nation to maintain an open and interactive environment by adapting public investments in research and technology and public funding and financial incentives for R& D and innovation by scientists, engineers and technologists.

The participative nature of the Internet is another big issue. The so-called Web 2.0 services such as the Wikipedia, and social-networking services such as Cyworld and Facebook encourage social and economic interaction, innovation and value creation. OECD hopes the meeting will offer opportunities for entrepreneurial, organizational, professional and personal activities and new kinds of open research and innovation for the creation of new forms of citizen participation, the free flow of information and freedom of expression in the virtual world.

'Building Confidence'

The increasing volume of e-commerce and online financial transactions, the roll-out of e-government and the development of collaborative and social networks mean that building and maintaining trust in the Internet and related communication networks is a key policy area.

Hacking attempts and malware, online identity theft and vulnerable information infrastructure are threats the Internet economy is facing. To prevent loss of confidence, policies and measures are needed, from increasing the security of information systems and networks to creating trustworthy digital identities, to protecting consumers, personal information, minors and other vulnerable groups, and more broadly to fostering transparency and fairness.

When the trust is shaken, even mildly, it is difficult to regain, the OECD guideline reminds the participants of the ministerial meeting.

indizio@koreatimes.co.kr