• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.643-664
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• 2004

This study aims to review what geographers have contributed to GIS industries and national needs. To-be-geographers and geographers are expected to meet the gap between what we have teamed in school and what we have to do after graduation. The characteristics of GIS industry in the 1990 are summarized with approximate evaluation of the contribution of geographers in each stage. Author introduced the requirement for the licenses of geomatics and geospatial engineering experts and the other licenses, which are important to get a job in GIS industry from 2003 to 2004. A set of questionnaire on the user's requirements was given to GIS people in private companies and public GIS research centers and analyzed. Author found that they put an emphasis on hands-on experiences and programming skills. no advantages or geography such as capability or integration and inter-disciplinary collaboration were not appreciated. The prospects for the GIS tend to be positive but the reflectance of the prospect was not accompanied by at the same degree of preference for geography. Most government strategies for the next ten years' GIS focus on new-growth leading industries. SWOT(strength, weakness, opportunity, threat) analysis of geography for GIS industry will give some directions such as telematics, regional marketing strategies with web-based GIS technology, location based service. That means intra-disciplinary study in geography will evoke the potentiality of GIS, compared with interdisciplinary studies.