Q: You've been promoted to the director's position with more responsibility than before. How do you feel and what's your determination?

A: I'm taking it as a stick pushing me to work harder than before. In fact, the trade automation situation has undergone considerable change since the 1990s when the project first started. Now enterprises, at home and abroad, want a 'total networking system' that can tie together business procedures ranging from procurement and production to sales, transcending simplification of their internal work processes. Thus far, have developed the concept of e-trade. Therefore, from now on my major effort will be to achieve substantial realization of the concept with action.

Q: How is Korea's e-trade viewed abroad?

A: Many are watching the development of Korea's e-trade concept with keen interest and respect. In the case of Japan, for example, the country has well-developed internal systems such as ERP at large firms. However, it has not yet succeeded in networking them between enterprises and with banks, logistics activities and customs clearance. Toyota, Nissan and others conduct purchase and sales activities only through individual documents. So, they have increased unnecessary expenses due to duplicate investments as their counterpart banks, transport firms and agencies had to prepare individual systems separately.

Japan has been endeavoring to resolve this problem with the establishment of an organization, namely TEDI, from a government perspective. Nevertheless, results are yet to be seen. At present, Japan is trying to learn much from a Korean policy that is integrating all the enterprises and related agencies into a large, common standard network. Other countries in Europe, etc. are working in the same direction. I believe that Korea has sufficient potential to lead global e-trade.

Q: What is the meaning of 'networking' in the trade arena?

A: Although trade is said to be transactions between nations, it boils down to enterprise-to-enterprise business deals. As goods and services cross borders, auxiliary factors such as inspection, quarantine, customs clearance and foreign exchange are added to trade. From this perspective, 'networking' can be considered a string with a wider scope of concept, transcending trade, that integrates all the processes necessary for business activities. Recent efforts being made by global enterprises also stem from their desire to realize such networking. As for small and medium enterprises which have comparatively fewer trade transactions, meanwhile, it would be easier to induce them to utilize an e-trade system through a standardized trade platform. Needless to say, its networking with large enterprises, logistics activities, customs clearance and banking institutions is, of course, possible. The national e-trade platform project presently being promoted is expected to realize this very concept.