Digital New Deal 3rd Supplementary Budget Execution Rate at 90.4%... Promotion of National Document Digitization and More

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] On the afternoon of the 27th, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced at the 5th Pan-Governmental Joint Digital New Deal Task Force meeting chaired by Minister Choi Ki-young that the government execution rate of the 3rd supplementary budget projects related to the Digital New Deal is 90.4%, proceeding smoothly.

Additionally, follow-up plans for each sector of the Digital New Deal were announced consecutively, including the ‘Digital Innovation Plan for Universities and Lifelong Education (Ministry of Education, September)’, ‘Support Plan for Digital Transformation of Small Businesses (Ministry of SMEs and Startups, etc., September)’, ‘Living Logistics Development Plan (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, etc., September)’, and ‘AI Semiconductor Industry Development Strategy (Ministry of Science and ICT and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, October)’.

At the meeting, detailed progress on the digitalization of traditional markets and national water resource infrastructure (SOC), which are being promoted as part of the Digital New Deal, as well as the digital database creation of materials held by the National Library of Korea, was shared, followed by discussions on the need for inter-ministerial cooperation.

The government plans to digitalize traditional market information using digital technology and support their entry into online sales channels, while establishing digital maps of traditional markets and online/offline digital payment infrastructure to revitalize ‘Digital Traditional Markets’.

Furthermore, by digitalizing agricultural production infrastructure management and smartly managing rural water resources, it is expected to enable disaster prevention and efficient management of water facilities. The automation project for agricultural water management in 27 districts, originally scheduled until 2030, will be completed early by shortening the period by 5 years.

In addition, as part of promoting a digital government, non-face-to-face online services will be strengthened, and to bridge the knowledge and information gap among citizens, national literature such as materials held by the National Library of Korea, the country’s representative library, will be digitalized. Approximately 3 million books of national literature will be digitalized by 2029.

Minister Choi Ki-young of the Ministry of Science and ICT stated, “We will create a nationwide consensus through easy-to-understand and friendly promotion and communication so that citizens can feel changes in their daily lives, and strengthen the linkage between the Digital New Deal and the Regional Balanced New Deal to revitalize local economies and enable balanced national development.”