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.
 

The OECD, the organizer of today’s gathering, has greatly contributed to the economic development of its member countries to date by forging a global economic framework for a “better future.”

In 1998, the OECD held the Ministerial Conference on Electronic Commerce in Ottawa, Canada to establish ground rules for the digital marketplace, thereby laying the cornerstone for opening an era of the Internet economy. The Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy this time will no doubt serve as another great milestone in further upgrading the quality of our lives and achieving sustainable economic development.

As President of the Republic of Korea that enjoys the greatest benefits of the Internet economy, I have great respect and am deeply grateful for the path-breaking efforts and activities of the OECD.

Distinguished guests,

In the cyberspace created by the Internet, a new civilization has been thriving. Human creativity has been remarkably enhanced through the Internet that has empowered the people to chip in their ideas and wisdom to solve problems and horizontally share knowledge and information around the world.

Over the last decade since the Ottawa Conference, the Internet has been serving as an accelerator in bringing about creativity and changes across all fronts of society. It has been promoting economic efficiency by improving productivity in all areas and has been leading the way on the path toward global economic and social integration.

The Internet economy is expediting the development of a knowledge-based society, thus leading new economic growth and job creation. On top of this, digital convergence between networks and services is opening a new era of increasingly useful information services.

I am convinced that the Internet will also play a huge role in addressing global issues concerning energy efficiency, climate changes and aging societies.

I hope the Seoul meeting this time will serve as an occasion to work out policies relevant to convergence, creativity and trust in the digital era as well as to seek out principles and implementation strategies for the future Internet economy.

Distinguished experts,

 
Now, the Internet is faced with new challenges and tasks. Above all, the Internet should be a space of trust. Otherwise, the force of the Internet could turn out to be venomous rather than beneficial.

We have recently witnessed increasing damage from the spread of computer viruses, hacking, cyber terrorism and the leakage of personal information. In particular, spam mail sent under the guise of anonymity and the spread of falsehoods and inaccurate information are threatening even rationality and trust. In a nutshell, what is being menaced is the trust in transactions, a linchpin for the continued development of the Internet economy. This constitutes the most urgent policy task facing the Internet. In order to promote confidence in the Internet, all individuals and nations basically have to equip themselves with a systematic response system. More than anything else, cooperation between countries is urgently required.

Having said that, I ask the OECD to take the initiative in forging an international cooperative framework for Internet security and information protection. Based on the dynamic experience and knowledge in the sector of the Internet and information and communication technology, Korea promises to actively participate in that move.

Another problem facing the Internet economy is the issue of an accessibility gap. The Internet that links all humanity is common property and should be shared by everyone. However, it is still out of the reach of 80 percent of the world population.

 
The Internet gap is bound to lead to a socio-economic cleavage between individuals and nations, and the gap will be ever widening. As a contributing member of the OECD, Korea has all along endeavored to fulfill its duty of faithfully helping eliminate the digital divide. It has dispatched information and communication specialists to other countries and invited international trainees.

 
As an Internet industry leader, the Republic will continue to strive for the eradication of the information gap globally. I hope and believe that this meeting will be instrumental in solving diverse Internet issues while presenting effective measures for forging a better future for all.

 
Distinguished guests from home and abroad,

 
It is noteworthy that the Republic of Korea is marching in the forefront of Internet progress worldwide. The dynamic force of the Internet that the country is experiencing in political, economic, social and in all other fields is explosive.

 
The country hopes to utilize the valuable experiences it has accumulated in the Internet industry to bolster economic development and standards of living. It will work diligently so that the Internet will influence the international order positively and create diverse values in the future.

 
The Republic is equipped with an excellent information infrastructure and human resources along with one-of-a-kind IT technologies. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage more foreign direct investment in Korea as well as more bilateral and multilateral arrangements for technological cooperation. I would also like to turn your special attention to the World IT Show 2008 that is being held in tandem with this meeting. This is the first time a ministerial meeting is being held in Asia since the launching of the organization. I firmly believe that the Seoul Declaration to be issued this time will represent the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the members of OECD. The Declaration will set a milestone for the next 10 years for the common prosperity of the global village and for another leap forward for the Internet economy.

 
Once more, I sincerely welcome you to this land of the Internet and information technology. I also hope that you will have a chance to get a taste of culture steeped in the country’s history of many thousands years. Finally, I wish every one of you and your families good health and happiness.

 
Thank you very much.