MANILA -- Media developments influence not only our private lives, but also affect the way our societies and politics are organized. Before coming to the Philippines two years ago, I spent nearly six years in South Korea. In both countries, I observed the impact of media on political and social developments.
The differences between the Philippines and South Korea are striking in many ways, particularly regarding the use of modern means of communication. While the Philippines prides itself on being the "text-messaging" capital of the world, South Korea is the global leader in Internet broadband connectivity.
The ascendancy of the Internet in South Korea is the result of a joint effort by the private sector and the government to get every household and public building wired. I am not aware of any other country in the world where this objective has been pursued so systematically and successfully as in South Korea.