South Korea’s leading software developer Hancom Inc. jointly set up a special council with Seoul Metropolitan Government to promote exports of Korean-designed smart city platforms.

According to Hancom on Tuesday, Korea Smart Card Co., Korea Small & Medium IT Business Export Cooperative, and World e-Governments Organization of Cities and Local Governments have also joined the council to cooperate in boosting exports of the country’s indigenous smart city platforms.

At the council, the members will share knowhow on smart city technologies and related policies to develop business ideas that can be applied to other countries. Smart city platform - which merges information and communication technologies (ICT) with policies - has emerged as a new solution that helps tackle various city problems.

Hancom will work with other council members to export its smart city platform to Vietnam and embark on the project to venture into the Southeast Asian country in the first half of next year. At the launching ceremony, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon pledged that Seoul city government will also provide all support to the council in finding ways to export local smart city platforms to other countries.

Seoul Metropolitan Government has been actively seeking to transform the country’s capital into a smart city. It has created a digitalized room where citizens can search public data and applied a smart city platform to Seoul Transport Operation & Information Service, CCTV integrated control center, 120 Dasan Call Center, and tap water Arisu system.

Meanwhile, in a separate announcement, Hancom unveiled plans to pay 300 won ($0.28) per share cash dividend to shareholders on the back of strong business this year. In the first nine months of this year, Hancom raised 27 billion won in operating income, up 12.9 percent from the same period last year. Sales were also up 7.1 percent to 81.6 billion won during the same period.

By Park Joon-hyung and Lee Eun-joo

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]