Ministry details RFID plan

Korea will introduce high-tech identification tags on steel, electronic and pharmaceutical products as part of its ongoing effort to enhance overall inventory control of its businesses, the government said yesterday.

The effort, which will receive 5.1 billion won ($4.5 million) in state support, aims to attach radio frequency identification tags (RFID) and build related sensor network systems to maintain real-time accurate monitoring on various products, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said.

Support will be given for one year starting this week, with eight companies being picked to try out the system in real business conditions. These include companies such as Posco, LG Electronics, Ildong Pharmaceutical Co., Kolmar Korea and Korea Land Corp. Under the plan, companies will attach RFID tags and establish so-called ubiquitous sensor networks (USN).

The RFID-USN systems use radio waves to quickly show the location, content and condition of shipments and products, while the USN collects the information and sends it to a centralized network that can compile data to inform users. The system has the potential to revolutionize competitiveness and convenience for both manufacturers and consumers.

The ministry said Posco plans to use 2 million tags on its steel products and help set up related information technology infrastructure for 17 affiliates. LG Electronics said 860,000 tags will be used within the year on its flat-panel displays, while another 5.9 million may be used next year on monitors. Ildong and Kolmar said over 5 million RFID devices will be used on drugs they produce.

The latest support measures are part of a larger effort by Korea to become one of the top three industry leaders in RFID and related sensor networks.

Yonhap