National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o has proposed establishing a government agency that would manage information technology (IT) affairs in the face of the mobile revolution era.

During a news conference at the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday, Kim also stressed the need to actively reinforce IT experts, saying that South Korea has become complacent about being a nation with strong IT capabilities.

Kim noted that the nation’s level of competitiveness in IT dropped to 16th place last year from third place in 2007 among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

He added the fact that South Korea was the 80th country to introduce iPhones demonstrates that the nation is an underdeveloped country when it comes to adapting to the mobile era.

Kim said that in the mobile revolution era, a nation needs to operate a comprehensive agency that manages information, communication and contents technology (ICCT). He said that the government and the National Assembly must lead the efforts for the nation to excel in the mobile revolution.