1. With 80-odd days remaining until Seoul Conference on Cyberspace 2013, its Preparatory Secretariat has put into full gear preparations to make a success of the event.

* Please visit the website of Seoul Conference on Cyberspace 2013 (www.seoulcyber2013.kr) and its facebook page (www.facebook.com/seoulcyber2013) for more details.

° The Preparatory Secretariat has consulted closely with participating countries of the Conference on the agenda and speakers. It also held expert pre-workshops on each of the six agenda items to encourage more active and fruitful discussions at the upcoming Conference. 

* The six agenda items of the Seoul Conference will include Economic Growth and Development; Social and Cultural Benefits; Cyber Security; International Security; Cyber Crime; and Capacity Building.

2. The Seoul Conference will bring together some 800 representatives, including ministerial-level government officials from 90-odd countries as well as delegates from regional and global organizations and the private sector. As such, it is expected to mark the largest international event to take place in the ROK since the launch of the new government in the country.

° Invitations to the Conference have been sent to 104 countries, 36 regional and global organizations, and 185 civilian delegates. So far, 20 ministerial- and vice-ministerial-level officials and six high-level officials from regional and global organizations, such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), have expressed their willingness to attend the event.

3. In a bid to raise public awareness on the need to address cyber issues and on the expected outcome of the Conference, the Preparatory Secretariat has conducted various promotional activities. Some of those activities include a youth forum, a painting contest for children, the recruitment of SNS supporters and the distribution of promotional materials.

4. The Preparatory Secretariat has also actively carried out promotional activities targeted at relevant government officials, major organizations and journalists of various countries in order to win more international support on the Conference and enhance the ROK’s international image.

5. The Seoul Conference is expected to help further enhance the ROK’s standing as agenda-setter, which the country has built by successfully hosting major international meetings, such as the 2010 G-20 Summit and the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit.

° The Seoul Conference is expected to adopt a “high-standard chairman’s statement” that reflects fundamental principles and best practices regarding cyberspace, thereby contributing greatly to international discussions on cyber issues, such as at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference to be hosted by the ROK in 2014.
 

                      Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation