Nation's IT image makes strong impression on APEC leaders
- Contents
-
Korea surprised APEC Summit leaders with its advanced information technology (IT) displayed at the APEC 2005 IT Exhibition at BEXCO, which showed off the nation's prowess in a wide range of IT areas from satellite digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) to wireless broadband Internet access (WiBro).
The APEC 2005 IT Exhibition at BEXCO in Busan provided the visiting regional leaders with chances to explore the nation's advanced information technology.
Guided by Information and Communication Minister of Republic of Korea Chin Dae-je, the world leaders including U. S. President George W. Bush, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited the exhibition just before a dinner show after the summit.
A tour of the place had been earlier scheduled to be only 30 minutes but leaders stayed at the exhibition 15 minutes longer, showing great enthusiasm for a variety of actions such as holding a cell-phone or shaking hands with robots.
“Every action of world leaders brings enormous economic advantages and results in indirect promotion of the products,” Esmond Oh, a CEO of Ioconvex Inc. and an organizer of the exhibition, said. Oh has been working on the exhibition for more than 10 months.
Four Korean companies, including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, KT and SK Telecom, and eight government agencies ran exhibition booths featuring the latest electronics products, such as large plasma display panels, and IT services, including e-government and e-learning.
The 137-centimeter-tall robot, named “Albert Hubo,' a humanoid robot with the face of Albert Einstein and programmed to smile or blink when visitors pass by, was most popular among the leaders.
The exhibition hall was in the shape of letter U, symbolizing “Ubiquitous Korea.” "The exhibition materialized exactly what people want in their daily lives," said Alfred Labbe, a Chilean delegate, after touring the exhibit. "Korea once again surprised the world with its leading-edge digital technology," he added.
Charlotte Glennie, a journalist from TV New Zealand, said she was particularly impressed by an android with the face of Albert Einstein during the exhibition, adding, “There are so many things to see here, I was impressed with Korea's advanced information technology and products.”
One of the highlights of the exhibition was the world's first trial service of wireless broadband, or WiBro, which provides high-speed Internet access on mobile phones.
The new technology is based on Intel Corp.'s WiMAX high-speed Internet standard.
"I'm delighted to see myself how the mobile Internet technology works," said Ron Resnick, an Intel executive.
Hong Kong's New World TMT dealing with the operation of telecommunications, media and technology business has decided to invest some $120 million in the nation's IT venture enterprises, while Chief Executive Officer of Qualcomm Paul E. Jacobs extolled Republic of Korea's potential to lead the world's IT markets with its abundance of IT manpower and ideal education environment.
This year's APEC forum was the first to embrace the opportunity to promote new technologies, the Ministry of Information and Communication said.
The source of news : Korea.net November 21, 2005
