Lessons from South Korea’s digital divide index (DDI)

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine South Korea’s digital divide policy and investigate how it Korea is one of the most networked countries in the world that has been addressing the digital divide issue since the inception of broadband. Design/methodology/approach – A secondary data analysis of the National Information Society Agency’s Digital Divide Index was conducted between 2003 and 2012. Findings – The differences in the changes in the access, skills and utilisation dimensions of the digital divide indicate that a second-level digital divide emerges as penetration increases. The gap in access has been minimised concurrently with the rapid adoption of broadband. Reduction of gaps in skills and effective uses has not followed accordingly. Social implications – Countries adopting broadband policies to achieve high connectivity can learn from this case and devise preventive policies that can overcome inequalities in skills and utilisation among digitally disadvantaged groups. Originality/value – By analysing longitudinal data, this study identified an emerging second-level digital divide in a country with high broadband penetration. This has significant implications for policies aiming to narrow the digital divide and that access, skills and utilisation issues should be addressed separately.

Playing the game: explaining how Luxembourg has responded to the Networked Readiness Index

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An Urban Planning Approach to Digital Inequality: Proposed Methods and Lessons from a Case Study of Toronto

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“…In Canadian contexts, examples of groups for consideration may include Indigenous persons, immigrants and refugees in addition to other disadvantaged groups typically referenced in literature like elderly, low-income, or low-education individuals. There are issues of concern when using this approach, however, with researchers pointing out that group membership is not mutually exclusive and additional disadvantaged groups may be left out (Huesing and Selhofer, 2002;Park and Kim, 2014).…”

Analysis of Digital Divide in Mastery of ICT in Palangka Raya City

“…Different levels of capability in accessing ICT will produce a different utilization that can increase access divide (Park & Kim, 2014). This condition will disturb public services and ICT control in the government sector, thereby creating a digital divide within the government and in the community.…”

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