The Korean Information Society Development Institute (KISDI, President Kwon Ho-yeol) announced that South Korea will preside over the 62nd regular meeting (Mar. 3~4, videoconference) as the chair of the APEC Telecommunications and Information Working Group (TELWG). Dr. Nam Sang-yirl * of KISDI has been leading the meeting since the second half of 2019, as the chairman of the TELWG.
* He will serve as APEC TELWG chairman until the second half of 2021 for a two-year term.

During this regular meeting, the participants will discuss the role of the TELWG in contributing to the ‘Innovation and digitally-Enabled Recovery’ as one of the core items of agenda of APEC in 2021, and ways to strengthen cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

In particular, the discussions will focus on digital economy cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, such as the 'APEC Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap (AIDER)'* implementation plan and the joint meeting with the Digital Economy Steering Group (DESG). It is also expected that discussions on the implementation of the ‘APEC TEL Initiative on Global Challenges and Cooperation Utilizing ICT – COVID-19 pandemic and beyond ‘** will begin in earnest.
* This roadmap, welcomed by the 2017 APEC Summit, presents 11 priority areas for promoting policy cooperation in the Internet and digital economy fields within APEC.
** This initiative was adopted by the APEC TELWG in 2020. In order to respond not only to the COVID-19 crisis but also to global challenges, the following specific tasks were suggested to promote digital transformation: ▲ sharing of information and policy best practices; ▲ strengthening of cooperation within the Asia-Pacific region and the international community; and ▲ innovation to solve global challenges and to promote regional cooperation.

In addition, the APEC member economies are expected to share key policies and regulatory trends and to seek cooperation in the information and communication sector with the aim of promoting digital transformation and innovation. 

KISDI announced that Dr. Nam Sang-yirl’s participation in the conference is expected to contribute to strengthening cooperation in the field of information and communication technology, whose role is being emphasized in the response to and recovery from COVID-19.