Reassessing Korean IT Policy to Link Rural Online: The Missing Gap of Korean Rural E-Readiness

Abstract

Enormous efforts to address the rural-urban digital divide has been taken by the Korean

government to bring development to rural areas. Despite its extensive achievement its outcomes are

insufficient whereby improvements mainly occur in technology diffusion, while rural residents

reluctant attitudes and limited IT use remain unchanged. This paper reassesses the case of Korean

rural IT policies using the notion of information capital which requires not only technology but also

other non-IT related elements such as peoples knowledge, capabilities, and social and economic

network to process information use. Korean rural communities basic education, welfare services, and

other political and economic capacities are not well prepared to easily react to online activities. Policy

actions must broaden their scope to integrate non-IT related assistance programs, and consider empowering other complementary elements within the broad social capital.