• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.516-526
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• 2001

This study aims to reveal the capacity of impacts that the diffusion of networked computer in rural areas, or so-called rural telematics, has on regional development schemes. It is accomplished mainly by a case study of a small rural village near the city of Weonju, Korea, which has been recently designated as an information model village by the provincial government and given supports for information infrastructure. The case study shows that although the residents'computer use is confined to a very elementary level in every respect of using internet, e-mails, and visiting village portal site, there is high potential that extended use of networked computer would bring positive changes in life-styles and community formulation, and hence new possibilities of regional development. These positive moves will be possible by increasing economic, social and cultural benefits that the residents receive from using computer facilities. One of the important prerequisites is to transform external motivation to internal one and to lead the residents to a more active use of computers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.51-59
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• 2002

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.501-515
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• 2001

Hwangdun is a remote rural village in Korea, located in the montane central part of the nation. In the early of 2000, the provincial government of Kangwon-do designated Hwangdun as a model E-village. The village was connected to the national information backbone network, and 100 personal computers and 66 Internet TVs were distributed among the villagers for free of charge. The village center too was turned to a ‘tele-cottage’harnessed with PCs, a kiosk and peripheral devices. The Hwangdun E-village, being the first case of its kind in Korea, has drawn much attention nationwide, and has triggered similar informatization investments in a number of rural areas. The present study conducted a survey in the early of 2001 to examine what the E-village Project has meant for the people in Hwangdun. In particular, the survey focused on the characteristics of the households having computers and of the computer users, the ways in which people use their computers, the kinds of problems and difficulties the users have faced, and the changes of Hwangdun after the introduction of computers to the village. This paper describes the major findings of the study and discusses the research and policy implications of those findings.