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because it is in the users’ native languages, it is more intuitive and
users are able to guess the Internet address they are looking for
much more easily. Because NLIA guarantees interoperability and
compatibility with the domain name system, it is also ready to be
used without any modification of or changes to existing applica-
tions, and without the or installation of new ones.
NLIA is easy to remember and convenient to use, and has been
a leader in transforming the computer-oriented Internet address
system into a human-oriented one with the goal of helping people
around the world use real-name Internet addresses in their own
native language.
Success story in Korea
Korea, the first country to adopt the NLIA system, has witnessed
remarkable development. Internet usage rates increased rapidly
nationwide, bridging the information gap substantially among
various sectors in society. Korea’s success in rising to fourth place
in the ITU Digital Access Index for 2002 was compounded by
the country’s rise from 17th place in 2003 to fifth place in the
United Nations’ Global e-Government Readiness rankings in
December 2004.
In Korea it is quite common to see people who do not know a
word of English, such as the elderly or young children, using
NLIA to access the Internet, conduct e-commerce, find impor-
tant information, and get benefits from e-Government services
without difficulties.
Currently, all of Korea’s local government websites, in associ-
ation with the Ministry of Government Administration and Home
Affairs, have registered their Korean Internet Address, helping the
Korean people to access civil services online more easily. In addi-
tion, during the 17th General Election campaigns, more than 90
per cent of the National Assembly candidates registered their
homepages using the Korean Internet Address, giving voters easier
access to information about them.
The online election campaigns turned out to be more effective
by cutting costs and time as well as enabling the exchange of
opinions compared to the old-fashioned offline promotions. The
new Internet address system has helped realize a genuine digital
democracy by eradicating irregularities arising from offline
campaigns and by establishing apparent election campaigns.
Status quo for the globalization of NLIA
NLIA has completed its test for languages that are now being used
in 95 different countries. The commercialized service has already
been launched in Korea, Turkey and Thailand, while pilot services
are being provided in Japan, Bulgaria and Mongolia. In addition,
a lot of efforts have been devoted to the preparation of service
commercialization in the regions traditionally considered to be
non-English speaking countries, such as Greece, and Malaysia,
and some Arabic countries.
International activities have been undertaken including partic-
ipation in Internet address-related organizations such as ICANN,
IETF, ITU, and APRICOT. In particular, the ITU started discussing
the possible technical standardization of NLIA in 2004. Recently,
Dr. Kangsik Cheon, who has actively been involved in numerous
international meetings as a member of Netpia, was appointed a
member of the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Internet
Governance (WGIG) by UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan.
In September 2005, Netpia sponsored to organize the Native
Language Technologies and Policies (NLTP) consortium to help
overcome the digital divide. Numerous countries and organiza-
tions were represented at this intense preparation workshop to
share a high level discussion of the current condition of the digital
divide and to underline the benefits and the merits of NLIA. This
event accentuated a strong sense of Internet equality through NLIA
as a major solution in helping to bridge the digital divide. Louis
Pouzin, a legendary figure in the Internet society, was appointed
as an interim chairman at this workshop, to oversee the world-
wide promotion and implementation of the NLIA service. This is
considered to be a major milestone in the service’s globalization.
Effects from the introduction of NLIA
As proven in Korea, the NLIA service has been effective in narrow-
ing down the digital divide. Indeed, its effects can be shared by those
not only in developing countries, but also in advanced non English-
speaking regions of advanced countries. Considering that the
information gap exists between those who can speak English and
those who cannot, even in advanced countries, including France
and Germany, the introduction of the NLIA service is essential.
English-speaking countries that have the upper hand in the IT
industry might also enjoy positive effects from the active use of
[
] 115
5,000,000
May 99
2,470 times growth in 4 years
Growth of Korean Internet address use
ITU Digital Access Index
2002
1. Sweden
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4.
Korea
5. Norway
6. Netherlands
7. Hong Kong
8. Finland
9. Taiwan
10. Canada
11. United States
12. United Kingdom
13. Switzerland
14. Singapore
15. Japan
16. Luxemburg
17. Austria
18. Germany
19. Australia
20. Belgium
21. New Zealand
22. Italy
23. France
24. Slovenia
25. Israel
1998
Finland
United States
Norway
Sweden
Denmark
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
Singapore
Netherlands
....
....
....
Taiwan
Hong Kong
Japan
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
Korea
10,000,000
15,000,000
20,000,000
May 00 May 01 Sep 02 Sep 03
8,500
600,000
4,000,000
12,000,000
21,000,000
Diagram showing the growth of Korean Internet address usage