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Digital Inclusion

South Korea to diversify e-gov web site access

By Alice Kok | 18 May 2009

Korea’s e-government services will be made available for those logging on from FireFox or Safari, web browsers that are gaining more popularity worldwide as an alternative to Internet Explorer.

According to the government, users of these “non-traditional” browsers will be able to file for year-end tax returns, sign up for a new passport or look for job openings and do much more at various service web sites operated by the state.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Security, which is in charge of directing e-government initiatives, said that it will invest US$9 million this year for technical projects to increase the browser compatibility of 49 e-government service web sites.

Starting 2011, all of the 150 e-government web sites are expected to be accessible from any browser.

The development is expected to be useful for overseas Koreans or foreigners logging on to web sites such as www.hikorea.go.kr from aboard through alternate browsers. Operated by the Ministry of Justice, the web site is a comprehensive online repository of information for oversea Koreans, immigrants and foreign nationals.

While the percentage of Korean users of alternative browsers is still minimal, more netizens worldwide are increasingly surfing the net on browsers other than the Internet Explorer.

A ministry report showed that 21.7 per cent of web users worldwide are browsing on FireFox, and 8 per cent on Safari—a browser developed by Apple. IE users make up 67.4 per cent of the total web population.

Korea believes that enabling minor browsers to host our e-government services will help overseas Koreans to access the assistance they need and increase Korea’s status as a leader in e-government initiatives.

Korea is one of the most active countries in developing and providing citizens with services through 150 public web sites. Virtually all central government ministries and affiliated organisations are running such services.

Web sites like www.yesone.go.kr or www.hometax.go.kr, operated by the National Tax Service for settling tax-related affairs, have become important tools for many Koreans.

Ministries of foreign affairs, justice and public administration also offer extensive online services for domestic and international users.

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