Contents - Connect-World

National Development
der triggered digital divide has
been narrowed to a certain
extent. However, the age, education
or income-triggered digital
divide remains prevalent and
might be getting even larger.
Figure 1 shows that the digital
divide has increased by 43.2 per
cent using the age benchmark,
43.1 per cent measured by education
and 25.1 per cent by
income group, between 1999 and
2003.
Lately, such factors as age and
educational level tend to play a
larger role in affecting the digital
divide. Figure 2 shows that 94.3
per cent of the population in
their twenties uses the Internet versus
only 14 per cent of people over 50. By
education, 87.7 per cent of those who
graduated from college or higher are
the Internet users versus only 8 per
cent of those who graduated from junior
middle school.
The digital divide that separates handicapped
people from non-handicapped
tends to be larger in Korea
than in the West. In Korea, 27.6 per
cent of the handicapped are the
Internet users, compared with 39.1
per cent in the US, or 36 per cent in
the UK.
The digital divide between the handicapped
people and the non-handicapped
people was estimated at 14.8
per cent in the US and 21 per cent in
the UK, compared with 37.9 per cent
in Korea.
Bridging the digital
divide—policy implementation
Government efforts to bridge
digital divide
Molnar
2002
Selwyn
2002
Van Dijk et al
2003
Kim Mun-jo
2004
IT Accessibility
Gap in IT accessibility
Gap in information access
Mental, material access
Difference of opportunity
Figure 1 Digital Divide Trend 1999 to 2000 based upon Internet adoption rate.
The government drive to bridge the
digital drive has been under way since
1988, when the government kicked off
its computer classes for villages project.
In 1992, the government inaugurated
a regional information project
aimed at narrowing the digital divide.
In the late 1990s, the government gave
these efforts a higher priority.
In 1999, Cyber Korea 21 established
the second-phase basic digital inclusion
plan and bridging the digital
divide was designated as one of the
tasks needed to build a nation that
can make the best use of the computer
in the world. This project had opened
100 IT centres at post offices nationwide
by 2002.
The government also provides assistance
for companies that develop and
market information devices and software
for handicapped people.
In April 2000, the plan to build a
ubiquitous knowledge information
society was established at the fourth
information strategy meeting. Under
the plan:
ˆ Internet education took place at
post offices, social welfare centres and
community libraries;
ˆ PCs were handed out and a five-year
Internet use fee was granted to 50,000
low-income family students;
ˆ Housewives received Internet education;
IT Literacy
Gap in IT literacy
Gap in information use
Skill access
Difference of information
utilisation
Figure 2: Classification of the digital divide’s stages
IT Productivity
Gap in using pattern of
Internet
Gap in utilisation (effects)
Usage access
Difference of information
reception
ˆ A general information website was
opened for the handicapped.
In June 2000, the plan for information
education for 10 million people
was established to provide information
technology (IT) education for the
general public, rural and senior citizens.
In January 2001, the act on bridging
the digital divide was enacted. The act
formalised a comprehensive policy
and a structure, to bridge the digital
divide throughout Korean society. In
September 2001, 14 ministries including
MIC established the comprehensive
plan for narrowing the digital
divide, which instituted cross-ministerial
efforts to bridge the digital divide.
Implementing policy to
bridge the digital divide
Bridging the digital divide means
reducing the gap in information access
between those who live in a big city
and a small one, between those who
are affluent and who are not and
between the handicapped and the
non-handicapped. The policies that
have been implemented so far can be
summed up as: deployment of
Internet broadband access for residents
in villages and small towns,
hand-out of desktops and Internet
devices to those who
cannot afford to buy
them and installation of
Internet access points
in public places.
The government has
financed KT’s (ex-Korea
Telecom) deployment
of broadband networks
since 1999. The government
provided loan
assistance to KT so that
KT could deploy the
broadband Internet
20