David Abel: Well hello, and welcome to 'Politics Online', Internet radio. I'm David Abel and today's guest is Mr. James Borton. James is a senior writer and special projects director with over 16 years experience in international journalism and editing. I also know he's an author and a respected authority on Southeast Asian politics and culture; and also has a wide network of high level government contacts to the region. I could go on and on about his accomplishments and experiences, and I also happen to know he's an avid sailor, as well, but today we're gonna' be picking James' brain about E-Democracy in Asia, and not only how it's changing the face of society there, but maybe what the US and other countries might learn from it. James, welcome to the show! James Borton: Thank you very much, David, for this invitation- David Abel: Yes. James Borton: -and I guess we should just pick up by, you know your subject is really digital communications and the changes in the political landscape, there in Asia and more specifically I've been examining the broadband connectivity in South Korea, which is I think the perfect country to talk about, how Asia is sort of crossing the- what- digital Rubicon through what? Communications, content, collaboration, community; all this achieved in digital communications. And I think South Korea, if you really take a moment just to look at the country, its achievements from 1995, going-forward. In 1995, less than 1-percent of the residents used the Internet. Today, 70-percent of the households have you know, high speed Internet connections. David Abel: Wow! James Borton: Compared to in the US, only 14-percent. David Abel: That's amazing. And so when you say high speed Internet, that's broadband; what we're talking a very fast dialup, not a landline? James Borton: Very fast, you know 8, 10 megabits per second, a faster-and because of the dense population, the apartment buildings, there, the government I guess, in the past decade decided that part of their cornerstone of a new economy was to create this kind of national technology initiative. And so broadband delivery was a part of that, and of course their economy had been devastated with the 1997 Asian financial crash. So, they ushered in this initiative and indeed it impacting on the political and the economy. And I think that what ___________-observed is if you look at the demographics you know, in terms of being a print journalist most of my life, younger people are no longer reading the newspapers and certainly if we were zeroing in on South Korea, look at the demographics, 18 to let's say 25, those people just simply are not reading newspaper, but they are online. And that impact was evident in terms of the elections that were held last year, President Roh. David Abel: Yeah, let's talk about that. I guess in-what was it? It was late December, 2002 was when the election was held. James Borton: That's right. David Abel: And there's a lot of I guess, OhmyNews, if I'm pronouncing that right was a major impact and they had a huge online web of supporters. But, would you talk for a minute about what really happened there and kind of the significance of it all? James Borton: Well, as you may have read, I think in terms of the reformist candidate Roh and this new party the Uri, or our party; was really attempting to galvanize interest among younger, educated population. And those party members used the Net, you know to really go around kind of Korea's traditional political structure, conservative structure; print, the newspapers being very conservative, and rally the troops, if you wish; rally the young people to elect this Reformist candidate, Roh. And I think before the exit polls closed, they could see that the results were not that strong for his candidacy, his election, so OhmyNews, which is-started four years ago, really began through its more than 23,000 online contributors began to put out a message that they needed to get people to the polls, if indeed there was gonna' be a change in the political system. And what's remarkable is OhmyNews is not only helping to kind of redefine journalism, but in this case they took an advocacy position and brought in-brought to the Korean people a new president, because they were getting almost-I guess the got 20 million hits a day, at least that's the average- David Abel: Wow! James Borton: -only 40 million people, so it was dramatic surge in terms of the number of people that responded to this kind of online message board. And the result was that Roh was elected and in fact in deference to the impact of OhmyNews, rather than giving his-granting his first interview to one of the traditional and highly well-circulated Korean newspapers, he gave it to OhmyNews editor, as part of-well, I think he understood exactly what happened during that election. It was really the result of OhmyNews contributors, really blogging up the boards, if you wish. David Abel: Right. And then we saw kind of bloggers in the US have their moment getting invited to conventions this year, Republican and Democratic convention. I imagine that was probably a moment there too, on kind of recognizing the significance and the power of the Internet in South Korea at that time. I can't imagine that if something like that happened any time before then. James Borton: Yes, that's absolutely true. I think that there's a recognition that the Internet is empowering people who have been disenfranchised, and the digital technology is providing a new kind of political conversation in at least those developing countries. And certainly South Korea is an exception, but we're even seeing that in closed communities and poor countries, like China where there may be 300 to 400,000 bloggers now. And I'm just beginning to examine that but I see this as creating a major rippling effect throughout Southeast Asia. And even though Vietnam and other countries are extremely poor and they don't have the broadband connectivity, the Internet is beginning to you know create a prairie fire among, again those young, educated Vietnamese. David Abel: I think one of the things that I've noticed and maybe you could explain this a little bit better than I could, is in the United States, I've noticed that the kind of mobile phone revolution has just allowed people to talk anywhere they want. But I think South Korea and other countries are taking the ability to check email and text votes and actually do activism with their mobile phone has kind of changed the culture a little bit, as well. Would you comment on maybe anything you've seen happening there as significant? James Borton: Well, I guess if we're gonna' make this kind of cultural comparison, I mean I would say that just like our young people, they're using the tool, the technology you know for entertainment, too. I mean online gaming is a massive cultural phenomena in not only South Korea, but throughout Asia. And certainly in this-in the United States we still, you know young people use it for entertainment. But I think the difference is that in a community like- or a nation like South Korea, and even the Chinese community, they are putting a higher premium on the value of education, and so if you go into, even in countries like Vietnam or even Shanghai in terms of Internet cafes, sure you're gonna' see a great number of people playing online gaming, but you're also gonna' see them using that high speed Net connection to take free tutorials, you know for what, their national aptitude test, which is our equivalent to a SAT-like exam here. I think that the Asian communities that is the younger people are utilizing the Net, utilizing the technology for the educational game more so than our younger people, and obviously that cultural and economic divide is being worn down. David Abel: Well James, you touched on China for a second and I kind of want to go back to that, if we could. Unfortunately, it seems like the-lately, the most news I hear out of there has to be centered around jailed bloggers or journalists and also blocking fights like Google or searches on Google. If you could kind of take a stab at it? Who do you think is winning in terms of the government versus I guess, a free press or the citizens? Do you think the government's successfully using the Internet for controlling a message or impression or do you think that it's something that they really can't control? James Borton: Globalization is shaping China every day and I think that the bureaucracy of the Communist party understands that integration with the West is essential. They have looked at South Korea in terms of their national technology initiative, information technology; the tools, the software, the hardware, all of that is becoming a cornerstone of, you know China's full integration, even before WTO. So, naturally they still want to control the free flow of information, but I'm betting on technology outdistancing the bureaucrats. I'm betting on the young people being able to one: In terms of the educational initiatives, they're-to use the tools to create more of a social discourse. I don't believe that the government can put that many constraints and restraints on that flow among 300, 400, 500,000 bloggers. And so there is a dialogue that is taking place right now. I've been online with some of those bloggers. And sure there is issues of security that are-there is issues of repression, but I believe that at the end of the day, we're going to see continuing change and openness regarding the use of that technology. On the media, traditional media, broadcast included as well as some of the print media, we're beginning to see those reforms taking place. And that's not to say there's the free flow of information coming across into China, but we're seeing progress. And I think it's a series of steps leading up to a more integrated China and part of that development is certainly gonna' be achieved through the access of the technology and the use of it as an educational tool. David Abel: I would have to agree. I don't think that the Internet's something that can really be controlled that well. As much as too, and I really do hope, as you do that in the end maybe democracy might win out or at least that there'd be a freedom of the press in a large capacity. Well James, we really appreciate it. That's about all the time we have today. I just want to mention to the listeners that James has a column called 'James Borton Eyes the Media' at Asia Times, which is www.atimes.com. And James, do you have a personal blog or website or a way listeners might be able to contact you otherwise? James Borton: Well, they can certainly-if they go to that column, I have my own email address and thank you for sharing that. It's just Asiareview@yahoo.com, Asiareview one word. And they can certainly respond to me on that, but I have not created-you know a number of friends have said to me, "Why don't you setup your own web blog?" And I haven't done that and I'm not sure why, but I have not! But I think it may be something I'll do in 2005. David Abel: Well, great and please let us know when you do that. James, thanks again. We'll talk to you very soon, hopefully. James Borton: Thank you again, bye-bye.