What the South Korea-US Summit Had to Say About Internet Policy – The Diplomat

From semiconductors to autonomous robotics, the Might 21 joint assertion between Presidents Yoon Suk Yeol and Joe Biden emphasised strategic, financial, and expertise partnerships between South Korea and the USA. There have been additionally two gadgets associated to web insurance policies that didn’t get a lot consideration from the press however carry important implications for the way forward for the 2 nations’ cooperation on bilateral commerce and human rights.

First, each leaders affirmed the dedication of their respective authorities to guard an “open, free, international, interoperable, dependable, and safe Web.” The joint assertion added that South Korea was “prepared to affix” the Declaration for the Way forward for the Web. It is a U.S.-led international partnership of 60 different nations, together with members of the European Union, Japan, and Taiwan, that got here collectively in April 2022. Though there are not any particular actions laid out but, the declaration units a standard rule to be used of expertise that may represent the way forward for high-value commerce between post-industrial nations.

South Korea was not a signatory to the declaration, and this might trigger headwinds for its enterprises to export digital companies to see economies sooner or later. One purpose for Seoul’s preliminary exclusion from the settlement might be because of an ongoing authorized battle between a South Korean web service supplier, SK Broadband, and the U.S. content material distributor Netflix. The 2 sides disagree on who’s financially answerable for elevated web site visitors attributable to extra South Koreans streaming Netflix’s content material. In response, the South Korean Nationwide Meeting is debating a proposed revision to the Telecommunications Enterprise Act that might require international content material suppliers to pay further community charges to Korean web suppliers when there’s a surge in broadband utilization to entry overseas platforms.

Issues raised by Netflix and different massive U.S. content material distributors could create challenges for home digital service firms searching for companions to develop globally. YouTube’s Vice President and Managing Director for APAC Gautam Anand famous that the revised regulation might “undermine YouTube’s alternative to make steady investments for Korean creators to achieve success.” The U.S. Commerce Consultant’s 2022 Nationwide Estimate Report on Overseas Commerce Barrier additionally addresses this concern as a commerce barrier between the USA and South Korea together with the South Korean authorities’s restriction on the cross-border information switch for worldwide firms.

Though Biden didn’t go to the Netflix Korea workplace throughout his journey to South Korea, as initially reported by a Korean media outlet, the reference to an “open, free, international, interoperable, dependable and safe web” within the joint assertion raises the chance that the 2 leaders agreed in precept to work out the variations within the close to future. Because the digital economic system expands quickly, ironing out these widespread guidelines and selling better commerce in digital companies early could decide the long-term competitiveness of nations on this frontier trade.

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One other internet-related merchandise on the joint assertion price noting is the U.S. and South Korea becoming a member of the “International Partnership for Motion on Gender-Based mostly On-line Harassment and Abuse as founding members.” The International Partnership, for brief, was launched in March 2022 to carry collectively governments, worldwide organizations, civil society, and the personal sector to stop and deal with on-line harassment. Related language was included within the final Biden-Moon summit assertion, the place the 2 nations agreed to work collectively “to finish the abuse of girls and women, together with home violence and cyber-exploitation, and to trade finest practices to shut the gender wage hole – a problem each our nations share.” The renewed dedication highlights the significance of South Korea doing extra to ship governance that might guarantee a protected and inclusive our on-line world for internet customers around the globe.

In response to the White Home, “one in three girls underneath the age of 35—and over half of LGBTQI+ people” have skilled sexual harassment and stalking on-line. Lately, on-line harassment has expanded to the digital house, with reviews of sexual harassment on Meta’s Horizon Worlds, Roblox, and different metaverse platforms.

South Korea has been battling on-line harassment and digital intercourse crimes, which mirror deeper social points for Korean girls. Though a number of ring leaders of probably the most well-known instances akin to Nth Room have been sentenced to comparatively extreme punishment, it has not utterly eradicated the issue. Digital intercourse crimes have been growing over time, and greater than 73 % of victims are feminine.

As introduced up throughout the press convention, Yoon’s method to gender points has been getting worldwide consideration – particularly his marketing campaign promise to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Household (MOGEF). The ministry is the Korean authorities company that helps the victims of digital intercourse crimes and sexual harassment. If the U.S. and South Korea comply with by way of on this international partnership, MOGEF could be the wise physique to guide the hassle in live performance with different authorities companies.

Web insurance policies will more and more play an even bigger position sooner or later because the digital economic system develops extra quickly throughout the globe. South Korea’s personal future might be within the digital companies commerce, and its position in offering governance to make sure higher security on-line won’t solely have an effect on Koreans but additionally individuals around the globe. As expertise evolves and turns into a extra built-in a part of our lives, addressing on-line harassment might be crucial to security for all genders, together with kids.

As technologically superior nations with shared values, the USA and South Korea have created the idea for working extra intently on setting international norms for a extra free, open, and protected web. It is a good begin however far more work on the working degree is required to actualize the visions of each nations.