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Even in Korea with its fairly well advanced internet IT infrastructure it still faces f digital information gap issue as one of its top priorities to tackle. To address the current issue, the administration announced its reform bill on the 20th.
The latest changes reflect need for newer web policy among public places, expanding coverage in recipients of governmental social benefit services, and elevating quality of the public access to information and communication service to implement recent policy changes.
The implements include support for the disabled and the elderly with easy and affordable access to information and communication service to the new public websites.
In addition, Minister of Information and Communication (MIC) was granted for more assistance from the administration level: in areas of conducting surveying level of web accessibility in public places and reporting findings to public and in case of insufficiency, implement changes to supplement the need.
The promotion of public awareness on the digital divide includes low income families ($120 for family size of 4 as of April, 2007) and marital migrants. The age limit for government programs to the digital information education was lowered from 60 to 55. The targeted recipients will no longer be called as 'elderly' but rather 'senior citizens'.
Other areas of new policy include getting rid of irregularities in set policy to qualification of recipients to government programs and 'communication devices' will now be called 'IT communication products' which include software as well.
The MIC with the latest changes anticipates for expansion of public information access environment, bridging digital divide among more needy to narrow the gap between citizens of all across the board in Korea.
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