It is my pleasure to welcome you to the OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy which is jointly organised by the OECD and the Republic of Korea, and is to take place in Seoul, Korea on 17-18 June.

In 1998, the Internet was emerging as major new medium for communications. OECD Ministers gathered in Ottawa, Canada, and established policies promoting online activities in areas such as privacy, security, taxation and consumer protection. Since the Ottawa Ministerial, the global Internet economy has grown remarkably.

Now, the Internet has become a critical infrastructure which the world depends on to support economic growth and social development. The OECD Seoul Ministerial provides an opportunity to address the role of the Internet in the 21st century and the direction of the Internet economy.

Currently, the Ministerial is expected to be attended by some 1500 participants including Ministers and high level officials from Communications, Economy, Industry and Trade portfolios from 47 countries as well as leaders from all stakeholder communities.

The Ministerial will be preceded by the Stakeholder Forums where leaders from the business, Internet technical community, civil society and organised labour will gather and exchange ideas on major policy issues for the growth of the Internet economy.

Moreover, various forums and seminars will take place in relation to the Ministerial, bringing together government officials, civic group leaders and academic experts. The participants can also network and exchange information with one another through bilateral and multilateral meetings. In addition, the Ministerial participants will be able to gain hands-on experience of the future Internet economy through various events such as the World IT Show and the OECD Ministerial theme pavilion.

I look forward to welcoming you in Seoul.

See Joong Choi
Chairman
Korea Communications Commission