Korea to Develop "Software Maestros"

In an effort to boost the nation’s lagging software industry, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy selected 100 young trainees to be part of its first “Software Maestro” nurturing program.The ministry’s move comes amid concerns that the country’s industrial focus has been on hardware industries such as semiconductors and liquid crystal displays at the expense of its software industry. In 2009, Korea’s market share of the global software market was just 1.8 percent, or $17.8 billion, according to recent government figures. The share of software exports was even lower, taking up only 0.8 percent of the total global pie.
Additional information on the new "World Best Software" Program are contained in an article in the Joongang Daily.