Gangnam District in Seoul, South Korea, Named the Intelligent Community of the Year

Photo: Scot Rourke, president and CEO of OneCommunity, in March was named Intelligent Community Visionary of the Year for 2008 by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF)

The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) named Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea as the Intelligent Community of the Year for 2008. In addition, ICF announced the winners of the inaugural Founders Awards and honored the Intelligent Community Visionary of the Year 2008, Scot Rourke, during the Intelligent Community Awards ceremony. The annual awards were presented by the independent think tank as part of its annual conference, Building the Broadband Economy, produced in association with the Institute for Technology & Enterprise at Polytechnic University in New York City. The awards ceremony, held at Stage Six at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, was hosted by Verizon.

The goal of the awards is to increase awareness of the role that broadband communication and information technology play in economic and social development worldwide. Finalists from around the world, as well as senior representatives from governments, businesses and institutions, were on hand.

Intelligent Community of the Year 2008: Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea

The district contains only 2.5 percent of Seoul's population but produces 25 percent of its gross domestic product. Gangnam's development as an Intelligent Community began in 1995, when the district launched its first "electronic government" project. By 1997, the district had a local area network connecting government offices and a set of tax payment and other applications running on public kiosks. By 1999, the system could process all registrations, permits and other citizen applications electronically. Gangnam converted the system to the Web in 2002, and by 2006 collected 264 billion won (US$280m) in taxes online, 15 percent of the total, and issued 2 million documents to citizens through the Internet or public kiosks. The system has made possible a 25 percent reduction in the local government's employment since 1995, and Gangnam estimates that it has saved citizens time worth 28.5bn won (US$30m).

In 1995, only 1 percent of South Koreans used the Internet. Under strong policies from the national government, private wireline and wireless carriers deployed broadband networks that reached 14 million subscribers (28 percent of South Korea's population) by 2006, ranking the nation fourth in the world. They also enjoy some of the fastest speeds in the world, with 100 Mbps available for as little as 35,000 won (US$37) per month. The district has led the nation in using broadband to make government more transparent, increase citizen participation, and even to help citizens who remained outside the local broadband economy. About 350,000 citizens are registered users of the district's Web portal, and 210,000 are subscribers to an e-mail system that asks for their comment on proposed laws and regulations. In 2005, Gangnam equipped its social service staff with wireless PDAs, enabling them to check information, make reports and request services while visiting clients. In 2006, it launched TV GOV, a set of interactive e-government applications running over the familiar medium of the television set. The system enables users to access services in 34 categories, as well as government news channels, cultural and arts channels, and specialized information for seniors, women and children.

ICF Co-founder and Chairman John G. Jung praised the Intelligent Community of the Year: "Gangnam District started its e-government program before there was an Internet. Through incredible dedication to improving their economy and the lives of their citizens, Gangnam has consistently demonstrated its commitment to building a sustainable broadband economy."

Gangnam District Mayor Jung Ju Maeng accepted the award on behalf of the community.

More information on Gangnam District can be found on the Top Seven Intelligent Communities pages of the ICF Web site.

Intelligent Community Visionary of the Year 2008: Scot Rourke, President, OneCommunity, Cleveland, Ohio