Green Cities and “IT839”: A New Paradigm for Economic Growth in South Korea

Abstract

The Korean government, like many in Asia, is actively building green cities from scratch—the most famous being Sejong, Songdo, and Cheongna. All these are considered models of green cities and are characterized by similar networked smart technological systems. This research builds on recent scholarly discourse by Anthony Townsend on smart technologies and urban planning, and Sofia T. Shwayri and Simon Joss on the “ubiquitous-eco-city” phenomena in Korea. In particular, it aims to extend Shwayri's hypothesis that the model is developed for export by uncovering the goals of the green city model actors. By tracing the national government's economic growth ICT strategy—“IT839”—and its key industry stakeholders, KT Telecommunications, this paper illuminates how Korea's green city model is being driven by an agenda of horizontal technology transfer in which the government has aimed to extend its traditional markets, and create a new paradigm for economic growth.

Keywords:

• green city
• eco-cities
• ubiquitous
• Songdo
• South Korea
• ICT-based economic growth

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on Contributors

Paul D. Mullins is currently a graduate student at Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA), University College London. Previously, Paul was a graduate student in the department of architecture at Seoul National University in South Korea. He has worked as designer for several large organizations as well as multidisciplinary design practices in the United Kingdom.

Sofia T. Shwayri is currently a visiting scholar at the Centre of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of California at Berkeley. Previously, Sofia was an associate professor of international planning and development at the Graduate School of Environmental Studies at Seoul National University in South Korea.

Notes

1. Recent terminology has begun to shift towards “I.O.E.” or “the Internet of Everything.”

2. Originally published by the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Technology Forecast Research Team.

3. Weiser's concept of “invisible computing” was based on his work in the early 1990s at PARC computer science research lab, where he predicted that, over time, computing would disappear into the fabric of our lives, quiet and invisible (a subconscious part of the everyday).

4. Internet Protocol Version 6, one of the three infrastructure networks specified in the IT839 strategy.

5. The Sangam Digital Media City (DMC), was part of a larger Millennium City project (2000/4) to regenerate a formerly contaminated area in the Sangam-dong district of Seoul. The DMC was intended to create an industrial cluster as a global hub of cutting-edge digital media and entertainment companies.

6. The “U-Gangnam” (2004–2007) project included the installation of 22 12-meter-high poles of public high-tech services and digital content. The poles were laid out at 35m intervals from Gangnam station down Gangnamdaero Road.

7. Three strategic items—DMB, WiBro, e-government; three flagship items—semi-conductors, display, wireless; seven potential items—RFID/USN, robot, network, software, e-health, light-emitting di- odes (LEDs), security.

8. Beginning in 2006, “VC-10 Projects” or “Value Creator Projects” was an initiative by the Korean Government for the future, designed to develop essential understanding of U-City developments predominantly via the Ministry of Land Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTMA), Korea Institute of Construction and Transportation Technical Evaluation and Planning (KICTTEP), and in Korean academic research institutions.