Korea Communications Commission chief Lee Kyeong-jae
Domestic TV manufactures could not help but express their deep frustration over the government’s lackluster posture on adopting new TV technology.
Korea Communications Commission chief Lee Kyeong-jae reiterated Wednesday that it was too early to adopt the ultra high-definition technology in Korea.
“The government will not rush to introduce the ultra high-definition broadcasting system,” said commissioner Lee a day after he came back from a week-long trip to the United States where he met Jessica Rosenworcel, the commissioner of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
“Even the U.S. put the brakes on the adoption of the UHD technology.”
He pointed to a lack of content for UHD and a possible financial burden on the public as the main obstacles for an early start of the new technology.
However, at a time when competition in the TV market is growing fiercer, delays in policy making risk tech firms falling behind, according to some in the industry.
“The government does not seem to fully support the TV makers’ efforts to promote the new market as seen in the 3-D TV market, which is now deemed a failure,” an industry watcher said.
The government’s swift action in policy making and support are necessary to boost the tech industry and to help the firms take the lead, one market watcher said.
Market players seemed reluctant to discuss the issue.
“For TV makers, government policies are sensitive issues. We do not have much to say about government policies but that we will follow them,” said an industry official, asking to remain anonymous.
Lee held the meeting with reporters a day after he came back from the U.S., where he visited the Federal Communications Commission, the state communications regulator, and private media companies such as Walt Disney and Time Warner.
The trip was aimed at promoting exchanges between Korean media industries and state agencies and U.S. counterparts.
(wone0102@heraldcorp.com)