By Honorary Reporter Alexandra Taseva from Bulgaria
Videos = Alexandra Taseva

Korea Telecom aka KT on Sept. 30 invited foreign reporters to the 5G Village in Daeseong-dong, the only region near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to have the nation's cutting-edge 5G technology.

While the small village lacks a big supermarket, many stores or even a hospital, its 193 residents are getting a full taste of how their daily lives could change thanks to the potentially transformative effect of the next-generation wireless communication technology.

In no time, 5G has allowed residents to utilize high-tech educational software. Smart farming technology helps villagers open and close waterways for their crops through their smartphones and new systems of emergency alerts have been installed at the homes of senior citizens, who said they were especially relieved for having them.

But the youngest residents of Daeseong-dong are the most happy to see 5G's implementation. The village's lone elementary school has students playing games with mixed reality devices.

Sin Jae-hyeok, 13, said, "Thanks to this 5G service, we can play indoors and stay cool."

Living under strict rules for decades because of the village's close proximity to North Korea is not easy, said Lee Jong-won, 46, a teacher at the school.

"Because of the special circumstances due to location, students cannot freely commute to school (and require a military escort). By using this 5G technology, however, we can overcome time and space constraints and teach students with interesting content."

Daeseong-dong is an isolated village because its location is just 400 meters from the border with North Korea. Thanks to 5G service, residents there can benefit from technological advancement. The eventual goal is to have 90 percent of the nation to be covered by 5G by 2026.

chaey0726@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.