TechCast Visits South Korea Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 TechCast was a topic of discussion at the Global HR Forum, the Korean Parliament, and other venues. You may be interested in Bill Halal's "open letter" to the Korean people offering his thoughts on opportunities for technology in Asia. Bill Halal was invited to speak on “The Technology Revolution” at the Global HR Forum and to meet with members of the Korean Parliament to discuss their interest in emerging technologies. Bill also spoke to groups of Korean business executives and economists and was interviewed by Korea's top media outlets, including the Korea Economic Daily, Chosun Daily, EBS TV, and Dong-A Ilbo Magazine. Following is a letter summarizing his thoughts about the visit: To the Korean People: It was a great honor to meet your congressmen, business executives, scholars, reporters, and many others who all conveyed a vibrant sense of progress in your beautiful nation. I left deeply impressed by the potential Koreans hold today for leading Asian development, and indeed, the West as well. Please allow me to return your generosity by offering my thoughts on Korea's prospects: I was intrigued to hear frequent interest in TechCast, with some even suggesting a Korean version focusing on Korean technologies, using Korean experts, in the Korean language. I can’t think of a better way to lead the economic growth that is now taking off in Asia. It would be a boon to helping business, government, academia, and all sectors of Korean society adapt to the difficult changes ahead. I also think you could in time broaden this effort to forecast technology trends for all of Asia, encouraging growth throughout the region. As I pointed out, many exciting technology breakthroughs are likely over the next few years, and Koreans should consider taking them on. The “intelligent car” running on “automated highways” would be strategic; Taiwan and American companies I know are considering this. Health care and telemedicine offer great opportunities, and I can see big possibilities for integrating Western medicine with the Eastern practices that are also becoming widely recognized. The U.S. is building six spaceports for tourist flights to Earth orbit, but I don’t think there are plans yet for Asia. Building an Asian spaceport for private space tourism would boost growth enormously. Much more is outlined on TechCast, but these opportunities stand out. There is little doubt in my mind that Korea will continue to one of the great powerhouses for Asian development, so I am eager to see what you accomplish in the years ahead. Please advise me if I can help. William E. Halal, PhD Professor of Science, Technology, & Innovation CoDirector, Institute for Knowledge & Innovation George Washington University President, TechCast LLC. http://www.TechCast.org A Virtual Think Tank Tracking the Technology Revolution