2007The paper explores ways of bridging the digital divide between the
two Koreas and applying ICT to educational development that will be
mutually beneficial to North and South Korea on the way towards and
after unification.
It compares thinking and developments on both sides of the peace
line and identifies the different priorities and programs that are
currently under way. It shows that North Korea has a great interest
in training professionals in the field of digital education but because of
its economic conditions. North Korea is selectively training an elite
core of ICT specialists to work in a few elite institutions and is still
at the embryonic stage of development. By contrast, South Korea's
educational development and e-transformation is at the proliferation
stage. These differences are seen as constraining educational and
economic development when unification becomes a reality.
The study suggests that there should be a collaborative approach
to addressing these issues and that this should be embarked on as soon as possible. It argues that this should be needs-based and built upon
mutual understanding. It also envisages that there will be a need for a
cross-sector approach, legal, regulatory and policy changes, expanded
access to ICT, enhanced capacity to utilize ICT and professional
development and it suggests how these might be achieved within a
framework of peaceful coexistence and cooperation in education
