Tuesday, January 15, 2013

A "Future and Creative Science Ministry" (미래창조과학부) for Korea

Korea is in the midst of a process that takes place following every presidential election, which involves the preparation of final plans for the reorganization of government.  This frequently involves the reshuffling of cabinet-level ministries and other agencies, often based on public pledges made during the election campaign.
One of President-elect Park Geun-hye's prominent campaign promises was to establish a new Ministry, called the 미래창조과학부 in Korean, and which has been variously and awkwardly translated into English by local papers.   So far the best translations I've seen is "Ministry of the Future and Creative Science,"  as used in an article in The Korea Times.   I hope that the new government will get good advice before finalizing the official English title of the new ministry, to avoid any awkwardness, as occurred with the naming of the current Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE).
As discussed in a recent editorial in the Joongang Daily, are the subject of much discussion and lobbying these days.  The stakes are high and the outcome relates to the paper I'll be presenting next week at the PTC13 Conference, as noted in an earlier post.  I'll be following the Korean and English papers closely in the coming weeks as the shape of the new government and its implications for national ICT and digital convergence policies becomes clear.

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