'Seoul Public Wi-Fi Installation' Hearing Held as Online 'Non-Face-to-Face Video Conference'

2 PM on the 20th, Panel-Citizen Live Debate ... Also Live Streamed on YouTube

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is attempting the 'online public hearing' using real-time, non-face-to-face video conferencing for the first time. As the transition to a non-face-to-face and remote society accelerates with COVID-19, such as telecommuting and online school openings, the goal is to proactively introduce differentiated methods of citizen participation and communication to prepare for the 'post-COVID era.'

The city announced on the 18th that it will hold the 'S-Net Online Public Hearing' from 2 p.m. on the 20th. The hearing will gather diverse opinions from citizens regarding the 'S-Net (Smart Seoul Network)' project, which aims to build a fiber optic network throughout Seoul by 2022 so that any Seoul citizen can use public Wi-Fi for free anywhere in the city.

At the hearing, the issue of 'data marginalized groups,' which was also highlighted in the movie Parasite, will be discussed by recognizing access to information as a basic communication right. The discussion will focus on ways to bridge the paradoxically widening data information gap as information and communication technology advances.

This public hearing will not be like conventional online hearings where citizens participate by commenting or merely watching. Instead, citizens will become members of the video conference and participate in discussions on an equal footing with the panelists. Since participants speak with their own voices on screen, it creates a vivid experience as if they are conversing in a real setting.

Also, breaking away from the formal and rigid atmosphere of traditional public hearings, the event will include healing exercises and video viewing time to create a comfortable environment. This is intended to encourage citizens not to hesitate or feel embarrassed when expressing their thoughts in front of the public.

During the hearing, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Chairman of the Administrative and Autonomy Committee Moon Young-min, former Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission Lee Hyo-sung, and Guro District Mayor Lee Sung will also participate online to communicate directly with citizens.

The hearing will be broadcast live on YouTube, allowing citizens who cannot participate as members of the online public hearing to watch freely. Real-time Q&A with panelists and moderators will also be possible through the comment section.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is recruiting citizens who wish to participate in the online public hearing through its website until the 19th, and will also collect various citizen opinions via a pre-opinion submission window on the website before the hearing begins.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.