Ministry of Science and ICT Holds the 36th Information Culture Month Commemoration Ceremony

Selected Contributors Practicing the Spirit of Digital Inclusion Awarded Government Honors
Booths Operated to Experience Digital Inclusion Technology
Minister Lee Jong-ho "Promoting Enactment of Digital Inclusion Act Within the Year"

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 15th that it held the 36th Information Culture Month commemorative ceremony in the afternoon at 2 PM at 'Nurikum Square' in Sangam-dong, Seoul, together with the National Information Society Agency (NIA). This year's ceremony was themed "Korea Enjoying Digital Freedom, Through Digital Universal Rights and Inclusion." About 200 people attended the event, including Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT, Vice Chairman Kim Hyo-jae of the Korea Communications Commission, NIA President Hwang Jong-seong, information culture contributors, and representatives from digital inclusion companies.

At the ceremony, government awards were presented to individuals who have practiced and spread the spirit of digital inclusion. The Information Culture Merit Medal (Order of Civil Merit, Dongbaekjang) was awarded to Kim Hoon, head of the Korea Blind Union. As a totally blind person, he contributed to the development of various digital inclusion products and services such as mobile apps, kiosks, and wearable devices that support the social participation of people with visual and hearing impairments. Cheon Byung-ho, chairman of the Korea Disabled Education and Culture Association, who operated a free computer education center for the disabled for 42 years, received the Information Culture Merit Decoration (Geunjeong Medal). In addition, individuals and organizations who have practiced the value of digital inclusion received the Presidential Citation (6 awards), Prime Minister's Citation (7 awards), and Ministerial Citation (2 awards).

At the event venue, exhibition booths were also set up and operated where attendees could experience innovative digital inclusion technologies that improve the lives of socially vulnerable groups such as the elderly, disabled, and children. There was also a donation ceremony where VisualCamp donated the digital solution 'Read' to the Child Rights Protection Agency, a care and independence support institution for children under protection, to support dyslexia improvement and literacy enhancement free of charge.

Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT said in his welcoming speech, "The government plans to strengthen policies to guarantee digital accessibility and establish digital universal rights," adding, "We will develop digital education emulators so that the elderly and disabled can learn independently and use kiosks, internet banking, etc., and support over 1,000 digital learning centers nationwide. We will also promote the enactment of the Digital Inclusion Act within this year to establish a systematic institutional foundation for digital inclusion policies."

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