At the Incheon City booth in the Government 3.0 Expo, a woman pedals a bike through a virtual street.
The Government 3.0 Expo, held at the COEX convention center in southern Seoul, bustled with visitors on day three, June 21.
The expo showcased the many ways in which the Korean government has been utilizing big data to transform administration in recent years. Visitors were given the chance to see this positive change for themselves at the expo, through a number of hands-on events set up at booths run by a wide range of government organizations.
In the various sections of the expo, visitors could be seen exploring national parks using virtual reality goggles or getting a health diagnosis at the Ministry of Health booth by tapping into big data. Many visitors also spent their time talking to system experts, sharing their opinions on the benefits of Government 3.0.
The “Open Section” featured booths that displayed big data services offered by organizations like the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the National Tax Service and the Ministry of Health. Groups of businessmen and women lined up by the touch screen monitors set up at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, to take a look at information on real estate, housing welfare and housing application services. A few booths down, the National Tax Service corner was crowded with new business owners who carefully looked over national statistics for recent start-up operations, and asked for advice from the organizers.
At a booth set up by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, a visitor browses the latest real estate information on a touch screen, with help from a staff member.
The “Smart Section” was most popular among university students and office workers. At a booth run by Incheon City, young people hopped on a bicycle set up in front of a large monitor, allowing them to pedal through cobbled streets in virtual reality. The Korea Meteorological Administration equipped their booth with a camera and a green screen, giving visitors a chance to enjoy a few minutes in front of a camera like a weather forecaster. Across the room, a booth set up by the Ministry of Employment and Labor gathered a crowd of job hunting students and older people looking to reenter the workforce. While there, the visitors got to try out services offered by the ministry such as application review, welfare support, and financial advice.
Finally, the “Future Section” had a booth run by the Rural Development Administration, showcasing infrastructure for farmers based on big data. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries booth took visitors on an adventure to the depths of the ocean floor around Jeju Island with the help of its 360-degree virtual reality technology. At the Cultural Heritage Administration booth, visitors could take a glimpse at the conservation technology used by experts to preserve the country’s national heritage.
Lee Seung-hee, a student preparing for the civil service examination said “I came to the Government 3.0 Expo to learn more about the different organizations ahead of taking the civil service exam. It was very interesting to learn about the services offered by the various ministries and to experience them firsthand.”
Article and photos by Lee Hana
Korea.net Staff Writer
hlee10@korea.kr
A visitor enjoys a few minutes in front of a camera like a weather forecaster at a booth set up by the Korea Meteorological Administration.
At the Government 3.0 Expo, visitors learn how to sign into the employment center using their smartphone app at the booth set up by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
Visitors put on 3-D glasses and watch a video on Korea’s cultural heritage sites at the Cultural Heritage Administration booth, set up at the Government 3.0 Expo.
