Korea's Big RFID Push

Filed in archive Market Size on September 28, 2006

Andy Kowl, subbing at Lou Sirico's column at RFID Switchboard, makes an interesting observation about Korea and its approach to RFID. In November, 2006 Korea will host the RFID/USN Conference.

He suggests that the conference is but one sign of the way Korea is planning global dominance of RFID (er, something like that):

"At this conference, Korea 2006, besides the attendance of every major IT company in the country - more than 25,000 Koreans will visit the Expo. These are students, government officials, businessmen from every type of business with no IT connection other than consumers of technology, and everyday citizens. That blows my mind. 25,000 interested citizens in addition to all of the IT people.

Amazing. The only time I have ever seen man-on-the-street interest in trade shows were in the entertainment industry. Some tech-heads would slip into CES every year, and I remember people trying to get into the shows when I used to attend NARM, the National Assoc. of Recording Manufacturers. (Seeing bob marley perform in a hotel banquet room is a sweet memory.) I also remember savvy New Yorkers getting into the National Fashion & Boutique Show to "buy samples." But not even 2500 of them, no less 25,000.

You can put in all the government incentives and corporate self-interest you want; but a genuine national curiosity is a potent power, I think. I tip my hat with awe and respect."

I think Andy is on to something. I have been impressed with Korea's ambitious experiment with a totally RFID and sensor-enabled city. The attitude is very different from the West, where RFID technology is followed around with this black cloud of a bad reputation and the technology is so frequently met with distrust by the general public.