Project budget– 2 million THB
Project location– Mekong region countries
Project location– Mekong region countriesDonor- National Research Foundation of Korea (NRFK), through Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS)
Project duration– 1 Jul 2020 – 30 Jun 2023
Description-The study aims to examine the structural, behavioral, and performance characteristics of the digital divide in 5 Mekong riverside countries of ASEAN (Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos) in the era of the 4th industrial revolution at the macro level. It also aims to identify the business behavior and performance characteristics of the information gap in industries of the Mekong countries at the meso-level. And the last objective is to characterize the structure and utilization behavior of manufacturing and service technologies for mitigating the digital divide of the Mekong countries at the micro level. Through these three research objectives, the ultimate goal is to alleviate the digital divide of the Mekong countries and to create opportunities for the information and communication industry of Korean companies. Through the study, the differential characteristics of information gaps in the ASEAN region focusing on 5 Mekong countries will empirically be examined through comparative analysis with other regions such as the EU and Northeast Asia. That will provide several implications for international policy measures and Korea’s role in resolving the digital divide of 5 Mekong countries in the ASEAN region and for revitalizing the economy. Secondly, it can be used as a benchmarking case through an in-depth case analysis of strategies for the 4th industrial revolution of 5 Mekong countries in relation to the digital divide. Third, the detailed analysis of the technology gap in manufacturing and service technology related to the digital divide in the ASEAN region can be used to capture information policy and business opportunities of 5 Mekong countries. Lastly, it is expected to expand the theoretical research through the redefinition of the concept of the digital divide according to the progress of the 4th industrial revolution.
