Roh paving way to goal of ‘electronic government’

The bulk of Blue House internal operations are now handled online, a reflection of President Roh Moo-hyun’s devotion to the Internet.
For example, in sharp contrast to his predecessors, Mr. Roh is briefed by Blue House secretaries through online communications instead of by paper documents.
Blue House staffers send the president e-mail through a closed system. Only the Blue House staff has access to the system.
Presidential aides said that Mr. Roh frequently logs on to the Blue House network to check the progress of projects and to make comments and issue instructions.
Mr. Roh strongly advocates the “electronic government,” established amid much fanfare last year, which permits citizens to complete official business with the government via the Internet.
According to his aides, Mr. Roh believes settling Blue House operations online would spur the establishment of an electronic government.
Last Saturday, President Roh sponsored a workshop for presidential secretaries that addressed the challenges of such a system. Mr. Roh, who even wrote a software program that compiles personal files, frequently logs on to the Internet with his laptop after work.
“President Roh frequently checks up on electronic notices and articles from Blue House-sponsored Internet bulletin boards and passes them to his Blue House senior secretary for public information,” said Yoon Tai-young, Blue House spokesman.
Mr. Roh, who enjoys holding debates with his staff, telephones his aides whenever he has questions about the reports presented online, or when he wants to express his opinion on them.

by Kim Sung-tak