Digital Service Specialized Contract System to Be Implemented Next Month

[Asia Economy Reporter Seolgina Jo] The digital service specialized contract system, established to promote the adoption of cloud computing in the public sector, will be implemented starting this October.

The government announced that the Revised Enforcement Decrees of the Cloud Computing Act, the State Contract Act, and the Procurement Business Act passed the Cabinet meeting on the 22nd. This initiative was pursued as part of digital government innovation to establish a specialized contract system for digital services, and it is expected to significantly contribute to promoting the use of digital services in the public sector and the growth of related industries.

The revision clarifies the definition of digital services subject to contracts and includes provisions for establishing a review committee for rapid selection of contract targets, allowing private contracts, and introducing catalog contracts.

First, digital services defined in the Enforcement Decree of the Cloud Computing Act include cloud computing services, services supporting cloud computing services, and services that integrate cloud computing technology with other technologies or services such as intelligent information technology. The review committee will be composed of public officials from related ministries including the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Public Procurement Service, as well as private experts.

The government revised the Enforcement Decree of the "Act on Contracts to Which the State is a Party" to provide grounds for demand agencies to enter into private contracts for digital services pre-selected by the Digital Service Review Committee. Additionally, the Enforcement Decree of the Procurement Business Act was amended to introduce a catalog contract method, allowing demand agencies to flexibly modify contract conditions as desired. Through this, it is expected that rapid contract conclusion under desired conditions for the necessary period tailored to the demand agency’s circumstances will be possible.

A government official stated, "We plan to swiftly proceed with follow-up measures to ensure that subordinate regulations are implemented simultaneously with the enforcement decrees." The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to operate a usage support system to register and manage selected digital services, and the Public Procurement Service will partially reorganize the existing comprehensive shopping mall to enable digital service purchases starting early October. In 2021, a dedicated digital service shopping mall will also be established.