An Analysis of R&D Policy Framework towards Information Society

The information and communications technology (ICT), which described as a source for a new knowledge based society, has played an important role for building a foundation for future society. It has been providing variety of knowledge based information services and compatibility enhancements of information society. The government has promoted an expansion of the ICT supplying foundations with R&D investments for new society developments. Equipped with an independent supply of the technology, which is required on developing government policy, there have been tremendous efforts put into developments of the new industry and socio-economy through various demands for the information and telecommunication technology. Consequently, various technological advancements like the world best broadband Internet access and usage rate, and the first commercialized WiBro (wireless broadband technology) and DMB (digital mobile broadcasting technology) would be set a high value as a world best level. These results have been feasible through the effective R&D policy and investments on technological development, which have been systematic and continuous driving forces. The research has suggested the political implications on interconnections among various policies; those are based on dependency of R&D policy in information & telecommunication, while building the information-society in Korea. Having identified the diverse characteristics of the R&D policy from the history of information & telecommunication in Korea, the research has analyzed the framework of those R&D policies on building the information-society in terms of the institutional system and policy operation. The research proves that the R&D policy of supplying technologies for long-term period helps to achieve the construction and advancement of ICT industry, the efficient operation of information & telecommunication business and service, and the activation of information-utilizatio- n