International Information Flow and Policy Issues

국제정보유통과 정책과제

International information transfer has increasingly been a topic of concern since the 1970s and has been discussed in numerous forums, including the OECD, the UN, Unesco, and ITU. It is made possible by the convergence of computer and telecommunications technologies which has facilitated the transfer of machine-readeable information across national boundaries with unprecedented speed and efficiency. While information flow between nations occupies an increasing percentage of the population in advanced countries, the developing countries continue to experience information disparity. Yet even with this situation, information remains a major resource and commidity in international trade and commerce. Neither its value or its threat can be ignored by any nation. Both national and international information policy should be constructed with cognizance of the social, economic, cultural, and technological aspects of information.