Page 42 - U4SSC Case study Daegu, Korea (Republic of), February 2022

a nation with progressive heavy and chemical industries such as steel and chemicals in the 1980s.
Since the 1990s, the Republic of Korea has achieved structural advancement in terms of capital
and technology-intensive industries such as automobiles and semiconductors. This has translated
into the country embracing ICTs for enhancing sustainability, liveability and productivity to spur
a wave of smart urbanism. Supported by three Ministries, the National Smart City Programme in
the Republic of Korea encapsulates a series of initiatives aimed at data-driven decision making,
enhanced inhabitant engagement, promoting digital equity, generating economic opportunities,
and improved infrastructure for the delivery of services.

As Daegu endorses new initiatives as a part of its Smart City Plan, the city’s implementation of the
U4SSC-KPIs will provide relevant insights into the following aspects:

• Alignment of the U4SSC-KPIs and the National Smart City Programme, which dictates the future
trajectory of Daegu’s Smart City Plan.
• Refinement of the KPIs to improve their applicability across various regions, including the Asia-
Pacific region.

• Utilizing the U4SSC-KPIs to gauge the progress of specific initiatives under the umbrella of
Daegu’s Smart City Plan.

• Creation of a business environment to encourage tech-based small and medium enterprises
(SMEs) and defining additional KPIs for measuring progress on the front to boost avenues for
employment.

The ensuing sections will examine how Daegu’s current smart initiatives correspond to each of the
three dimensions of the U4SSC KPIs, namely 1) Economy, 2) Environment and 3) Society.

6.1 Dimension: Economy

To envision and ensure quality of life for its inhabitants, urban spaces are evolving to integrate ICTs
for improved services. Previously, the Republic of Korea championed eco-city initiatives to transform
its urban centres into carbon-neutral and sustainable cities. This premise of establishing eco-cities
(aimed at protecting the natural environment) was combined with the subsequent National Smart
City Programme, which aims to adopt state-of-the-art technologies for overall urban planning,
development and management. In keeping with this nationwide Smart City Programme, cost-
effective urban services related to transport, manufacturing and education have been introduced
(based on the linkage between data and service systems), and supported by a high level of network
connectivity, the introduction of 5G and high penetration of mobile devices.

An adequate degree of collaboration between public and private entities offering various services
has also enabled the rollout of a secure IT infrastructure, which ensures a high level of personal
data protection.

24 U4SSC Case study | Daegu, Korea (Republic of) | February 2022