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DPRK: Endeavoring to Overtake World IT Industry
The rapid development of IT industry has brought dramatic changes to the world and therefore becomes a theme topping world economic advance. But because of a late start and other causes North Korea's IT industry has long been lagging behind. Since the early 90s the DPRK government moved to give serious attention to and put great funds into the industry, starting from spreading computer knowledge and computer technology.
In October 1990, the DPRK government, by employing numerous professionals, injecting huge funds and adopting various advanced equipment, set up a computer center in Pyongyang, an institution responsible for development and application of computer technology and computer promoting work nationwide. During the ten years since founding of the Center, Kim Jong-II as leader had for over 140 times instructed the Center to "play a leading role" in DPRK's technology buildup and computerizing its national economic production and administration. In 1996 the Center was formally promoted as a ministerial department put directly under the top leadership. The Center has altogether 7 branches nationwide to give training to tens of thousands technicians every year. Meanwhile, with faculties specially instituted, computer courses become subjects universally provided in middle schools and universities. There are also colleges for undertaking computer education.
Under a nationwide computer education setup, there are also many research institutions of different sizes built to cover all fields in computer science and form a vertical R&D system.
To keep pace with world trend, DPRK has set up additional branches in China, to report back latest information at the earliest time. Task groups were sent out to attend various international symposia and exhibitions. By now it has established ties with more than 10 countries, including China, Japan and South Korea, in academic exchanges and cooperation. Its partners include S Korea's Samsung and Hyundai groups.
Progress has been made in fields of system program, multi-media technology, operating system, and application program, according to a senior official with the Center. The technology and products developed, were not only adopted by various sectors and therefore brought economic returns, but also through exports to Nigeria, Yemen, Japan and other countries, earned foreign exchange for the country. Presently the developing work has been finished for Windows 2K-based Korean language inputting software, multi-language translation software, Internet-and-mobile telecommunication-included large-size enterprise information system, data management system, network manager and Internet service programs.
"DPRK is, in terms of technology, fully prepared for Internet construction, and we are just waiting for a go-ahead", official says.
DPRK also witnessed development in national network. Intranets have been set up amongst central committees, central institutions, and newspapers, with many of them connected with each other. Now a network basically covering Pyongyang has been formed. Local stations of Rodong Sinmun can transmit photos and reports via the network and users can search for technological data of connected webs at any time or place on the "Brightness" technology net set by a central press. The convenience and benefits brought by the net are obvious and the said network has extended its scale 4.6 times greater than two years before.
However, DPRK is still not capable of computer production therefore has to depend on foreign imports. Personal computers seem still a rarity and most people know not much about computers. Telephone lines of small capacity and other backward equipment have also hindered the development of network. Many scientific achievements can not be translated into real productivity due to industry depression. With these holding back DPRK's IT sector, the country doubtlessly has a long way to catch up with the world.
But the official seems fully confident of the prospect of North Korea's IT industry. " Our leader Kim Jong-II has paid close attention to the development of IT industry. When in China he visited the Legend Group and Shanghai Software Development Research Center, and these have greatly encouraged our technological staff. The country's IT industry is only ten years old and surely there will be opportunities if we make efforts. The overall development of our IT industry will not be far", he said.
By PD Online staff member Li Heng
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