The Korea Information & Communication (KICC) announced on the 2nd that researcher Min-a Lee has been elected as the chair of Working Party 1 (WP1) at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group (ITU-T TSAG), with Deputy Minister Daeyoung Kim serving as the chief representative.
Appointed as chair of WP1 through the ITU-T TSAG meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 26 to 30, this researcher will play a central role in establishing global information and communication technology (ICT) standardization strategies and setting directions.
WP1 is a key advisory group capable of leading major decisions of the ITU-T, including the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA). It plans and coordinates the standardization strategies, procedures, and operational methods of the ITU-T. Improvements to working procedures in response to changes in the global technology paradigm are also discussed here. WP1 prepares for the WTSA, which is the highest decision-making body of the ITU-T held every four years, and facilitates standard cooperation and coordination with other bodies.
The KICC noted, "The appointment of the WP1 chair this time is an opportunity to further strengthen influence on preparing for and activities related to the standardization strategies and directions of the ITU, including the WTSA," adding that "Korea's technology and policy directions could rise to the center of discussions on international standardization, including the WTSA."
This researcher, a graduate with a master's degree in broadcasting and communication policy from Seoul University of Science and Technology, has been working as a senior researcher at the KICC Standardization Division since 2012. From 2022 to 2024, she also served as a vice-chair of the ITU-T TSAG WP1. Additionally, she served as the vice-chair of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) WTSA-24 preparation group WG 1 (2023-2024) and was an editor for ITU-T Study Group 2 (2013-2014).
Meanwhile, Korea led the establishment of the Metaverse Joint Coordination Group (JCA-MV) at this ITU-T TSAG meeting, with Ki-gak Kang from the Korea Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) taking the chair. Professor Heung-yeol Yeom from Soonchunhyang University was also re-elected as the chair in the verifiable health credentials (JCA-VHC) sector.
Sung-hyun Son, president of the KICC, said, "It is particularly meaningful that Min-a Lee has been elected as chair of the working group for the first time in the history of our country's ITU-T standardization activities as a female expert," adding, "As chair of WP1, she is expected to play a central role in future major international standardization meetings, including WTSA-28."