ICCK

South Korea must boost its cooperation with India in the information communication technology (ICT) sector to maintain its global leadership, a report said Tuesday, noting India may soon overtake the country in terms of ICT products.

India is already one of the world's largest exporters of ICT services, accounting for 18.5 percent of global ICT service exports in 2014, according to the report from the state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).

South Korea, on the other hand, accounted for only 0.6 percent of ICT service exports in the same year.

South Korea's strong ICT manufacturing capacity still makes the country the world's ninth-largest ICT exporter, but the report said India may also overtake the country in terms of hardware exports in 2019.

"India is also expected to become a global leader in terms of Internet of Things (IoT), which is a core business in the so-called fourth industrial revolution," it said.

"Combining the manufacturing and service sectors of the ICT industry, and working with a competitive foreign partner will be an effective strategy than ever during the fourth industrial revolution," said Yoon Won-seok, who is in charge of KOTRA's ICT Business Office.

"South Korea must prepare for the fourth industrial revolution by enhancing its ICT cooperation with India," he added.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/search1/2603000000.html?cid=AEN20161122002400320