Chairman Lee Sang-jin of Korea Standards Association (KSA). (Photos: KSA)

The Korean Standards Association held the 5th Service Week under the theme “Service Renaissance Opening Digital Transformation” at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, downtown Seoul from June 26 through July 3.

The KSA has held the Service Week, designated as the first week of every July, since 2016. It is designed to inform the significance of the service industry, explore ways of development and encourage workers in the service industry.

Chairman Lee Sang-jin of the Korean Standards Association said, “Korea is one of a few countries which have developed the manufacturing industry and the ICT sector evenly, so the nation has better conditions to achieve digital transformation.” Digital transformation such as 5G-based smart city will be a task requiring massive investments, so the government and the private sector will have to join forces, Chairman Lee added.

The highlight of the 2020 Service Week is the holding of the Service Future Innovation Symposium, which took place on July 2.

Prof. Lee Yu-jae gave a presentation on service future innovation, which was followed by discussions by logistics and telecommunications subcommittees.

Prof. Lee said the development of IT technologies has led to the arrival of the service economy, and untact services are at the center of the trend.

Prof. Lee spoke about the spreading of untact services, demanded by millennials in their 20s and 30s, to all age groups in the wake of the spread of COVID-19. Service companies will have to ponder how to employ untact services, departing from the conventional contact-oriented services and address digital divide in which the elderly and low-income bracket people are excluded from digital services, he said.

Vice President Kim Nam-hyuck of GS Retail said at the distribution subcommittee discussions, “As online markets are expanding, and off-line markets are declining, it is necessary to integrate on-line and off-line services so that services customers experience can be maxed out.”

Kim Ji-seung, head of a center with the 11th Street, said changes in customers’ lifestyle, caused by the spread of COVID-19, can be summoned up as uncontact services, declining off-line activities, rising on-line activities and surging home economy.

The 11th Street has launched new services such as real-time shopping search word services and video review services using shopping-related data, and they will evolve into a commerce portal that offers values of information, joy and participations to customers, he said.

Vice President Lim Chae-hwan of KT, a speaker at telecommunication subcommittee discussions, said, “Generation Alpha, a generation of those born in 2011 or after, is the first generation to be raised amid digital and AI technologies from birth, and retired people in their 50s and 60s, classified as the underprivileged in digital divide, have seen digital gadget and content acceptance getting higher and emerging as major sound interface users.” KT is offering AI sound services combining diverse industries such as GiGA Genie home, hotel, and automobile, he added.

Jin Yo-han, head of a group with SK Telecom, stressed marketing tailored to meet individuals’ needs by analyzing real-time data via AI engines.

Customers will be recommended with smarphone bill plans corresponding to analyzing their smartphone change timing and former usage records, so off-line outlets are turning into space in which customers find and experience new products, departing from smarphone changes, he said.

SK Telecom, Samsung Card, Lotte Home Shopping and Shinhan Card presented their practices of digital transformation.

SK Telecom, Samsung Card and Lotte Home Shopping introduced T-world’s personalized recommendation services, digital ARS and chatbot services, and AI-based consulting services, respectively.

Experts speaks at the Service Future Innovation Symposium, part of the 2020 Service Week on July 2.