KT Leads Launch of 'Digital Citizen One Team'... Creating a Sustainable Digital World

KT Digital Citizen Supporters conducting digital citizenship education for elementary school students at Hangil Regional Children's Center in Jungnang-gu, Seoul. Photo by KT

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] Twenty-two companies and specialized institutions, including KT, are joining forces for digital safety, digital coexistence, and digital responsibility. They share a consensus that beyond effectively utilizing digital technology, creating a healthy digital ecosystem that enables proper use is also a corporate social responsibility, and they are pooling their efforts.

KT announced that on the afternoon of the 7th, it held the launch ceremony of the "Digital Citizen One Team" at the Sofitel Ambassador Seoul in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Along with this, the participating companies and institutions of the One Team made a joint declaration expressing their intention to act together and fulfill their roles to realize a safe, secure, and sustainable digital world.

The launch ceremony was attended by KT CEO Koo Hyun-mo, representatives from digital companies such as Google Korea, Intel Korea, BC Card, The Cheat, VP, Initech, Infinigru, and Yanolja, as well as Jo Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education; Lim Tae-hee, Superintendent of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education; Kim Eun-mi, President of Ewha Womans University; Lim Chae-sung, President of Seoul National University of Education; Yoon Dong-seop, Director of Yonsei Medical Center; Shinhan Financial Group; Woori Financial Group; law firms Sejong, Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, Kim & Chang; and the Korea Press Foundation, among others.

CEO Koo Hyun-mo stated, "KT has consistently practiced ESG activities for digital inclusion across society and has experience in creating synergy by bringing together various institutions, such as the AI One Team and Gwanghwamun One Team, combining each party’s strengths and capabilities. Through this process, we learned that while the government’s role is important in solving urgent social issues, when like-minded private companies and institutions voluntarily lead initiatives, progress is much faster and more impactful." He added, "The Digital Citizen One Team will fulfill its role to the end so that future generations can enjoy a safe, secure, and sustainable digital world."

Before the launch ceremony, the institutions belonging to the Digital Citizen One Team formed consultative bodies divided into three subcommittees: Education, Technology & Research, and Victim Support. They focused on various issues arising in the digital environment and derived actionable tasks based on their services, technologies, and capabilities. The plan is to operate a robust collaborative system through the One Team to build educational infrastructure for proper digital use culture, discover and spread digital clean technologies for a safe digital environment, and prepare practical support measures for digital victims.

First, the Education subcommittee, in cooperation with Ewha Womans University, Seoul National University of Education, and the Seoul and Gyeonggi Provincial Offices of Education, will provide proper digital usage education to the entire population. They will produce customized content for all life stages, from elementary students to adults, including children and parents, and develop experiential education curricula using AI speakers and chatbots. Based on this, immersive education will be implemented to help individuals develop the ability to protect themselves from digital threats.

Additionally, since existing digital ethics education programs have faced difficulties in spreading, a credible digital citizen score model will be developed to establish a virtuous cycle system of education-diagnosis-feedback-education. As a pilot, KT is training 20 digital citizen supporters and has been conducting digital citizen education for about 450 children at 23 regional children's centers nationwide since November.

As digital harm methods become increasingly sophisticated, prevention efforts at the individual company level have limitations, and blind spots beyond business areas inevitably arise. The Technology & Research subcommittee will cooperate to advance and disseminate technologies that resolve digital side effects based on AI and big data. Digital companies, including financial institutions, will accelerate the advancement of early detection technologies for voice phishing and smishing signs.

Helping victims recover and return to daily life is as important as preventing digital harm. The Victim Support subcommittee, involving leading domestic law firms and the medical community, will provide comprehensive post-response support such as legal consultations and litigation for vulnerable groups suffering from digital side effects, as well as intensive psychological treatment to overcome trauma. Furthermore, they plan to actively engage in improving related laws and systems by operating a working group for practical legal and institutional reforms.

Starting with the launch ceremony, the Digital Citizen One Team will establish a secretariat centered on KT, operate a regular consultative body including key executives, share progress through annual reports and forums, and enhance execution and cohesion by discovering new tasks. In addition, based on tangible achievements, they will continuously build social consensus and strengthen efforts to expand participation by more companies and institutions in the Digital Citizen One Team.

Meanwhile, KT announced in August, marking 20 years since privatization, that one of its four future directions is to spread the value of digital safety, communication, and information utilization, and to carry out ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) management activities centered on people. As a core member of the Digital Citizen One Team, KT plans to continuously strengthen social responsibility by linking its digital platform capabilities with existing ESG activities such as IT Supporters and Online Night School.

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