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Government aims to simplify phones, portion sizes, services
November 24, 2009
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How about when you punch in the wrong floor on an elevator because it has a different button sequence than the one in your apartment complex? The government hopes to root out such inconveniences by spearheading an effort to unify the many different standards applied to various products and services. The Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards have mapped out a plan to gradually introduce uniform standards covering 50 products and services by 2012. The government intends to offer up the standards as suggestions to manufacturers and service providers, which could choose whether or not to adopt them. As early as this year, the government will introduce uniform standards for transportation cards and quality certification for certain businesses. Currently, the cards used to access buses and subways in Seoul cannot be used in the other regions such as Daejeon and Busan. Once the new standards are in place, transportation cards will be compatible with systems in other regions. Next year, the government will also come up with standardization suggestions for text messaging systems on cell phones as well as remote controls for televisions, cable and satellite boxes and even air conditioners. In 2011, it will introduce suggested standards for AC adapters used by laptop computers. Elevator buttons will be unified under the same standard that year, too, as will portion sizes at restaurants. Currently, for instance, a serving of beef for a customer differs greatly by restaurant, ranging from 120 to 250 grams (4.2 to 8.8 ounces). As part of the plan, the service industry will implement a type of voluntary unified certification system that grades establishments on quality, service and facilities. The system will first be offered to funeral parlors later this year and be extended to wedding centers in 2011 and postpartum facilities in 2012. “We are changing standards on technologies and services to provide more convenience for consumers,” said Nam In-suk, head of the Korea Agency for Technology and Standards. “The standards were made by surveying consumers and the companies will soon follow the market trend.” As the standards will serve as recommendations, not requirements, it’s unclear whether companies will follow the advice. By Lee Ho-jeong [ojlee82@joongang.co.kr] |
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