[ossig] South Korea to redraw its maps with open source

[Ditesh Kumar]

FOSS-PDI list, thanks to Sunil Abraham:

---

South Korea to redraw its maps with open source
Government hopes to make it easier for people to find their way around
with new digital mapping system.
By Hyangseon Lee 
Special to CNET News.com

Published: September 6, 2006, 1:03 PM PDT
South Korea will try to tackle one of its lingering problems--a chaotic
street and address system--through a new open-source project.

The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs has formed a
team to normalize the country's street addresses, and then create a
database around the information. In the end, the country hopes to have
an address and digital mapping system that conforms to international
standards. 

The project, which will continue through 2009, is expected to cost $3.7
million in 2006 and $4.5 million in 2007. 

The South Korean address system can be, to residents and visitors,
confusing. Addresses often combine street numbers and land lot numbers.
Seoul and other metropolitan areas have also grown rapidly in recent
decades. Rather than using addresses, most people rely on maps generated
by computers, in-car navigation systems and cell phone calls to people
at the intended destination to figure out where to go. The confusion
contributes to the omnipresent gridlock in Seoul.

Another confusing wrinkle in the current system is that the street name
and street number often are not part of the address. Instead, the
neighborhood, building and/or block are listed. For instance, the
current address for KEPCO, the Korea Electric Power Corporation, is 167
Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea. In the future, it will be 11
Youngdong Street, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea. ZDNet Korea is now at Sungdo
Venture Tower 4F, 165-2 Samsung-dong, Kangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea. In the
future, the address will be 22 Hanjeon buk Street, Gangnam-gu, Seoul,
Korea.

The new system will also allow fire stations and police officers to
react more rapidly to emergencies.

Currently, the team is assessing the scope of the project and database
standardization. From 2007 through 2009, it will update data and add new
regions and streets. 

The project will be based on open-source software, which the government
has long supported. Earlier, South Korea built a National Education
Information System on Linux servers. The Ministry of Information and
Communication is in the midst of a program to shift a substantial number
of PCs and servers at universities and government agencies to Linux.

"We chose Linux because of lower cost in setup and maintenance, free
licensing fees and its ability to respond to security breaches rapidly,"
said Doo-soo Kim, who is heading up the project.

If the re-mapping project is successful, it could lead to another export
industry for the country. Korea has a history of turning its own
problems into exports. After the Asian financial crisis of the late
1990s, the government invested billions into building out a national
broadband network. Since then, Korean companies have begun to export
things like online games and broadband consulting services.

Hyangseon Lee of ZDNet Korea reported from Korea. 
 

-- 
Sunil Abraham   Manager sunil at apdip.net  www.iosn.net  
International Open Source Network - Software Freedom for All
Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme www.apdip.net
Thailand:UNDP Regional Centre, United Nations Service Building
         3rd Floor, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
         Tel:  (66-2) 288-1234 Fax: (66-2) 288-3032 
India   :3rd Floor, 314/1, 7th Cross, Domlur Bangalore - 560 071
         Karnataka, India. Mob: (91) 9342201521
         Tel: (91-80) 51150580 Fax: (91-80) 51150583.