South Korea signed a pact with Costa Rica to expand e-learning related cooperation, a deal that could permit local businesses to make inroads into the Latin American country, the government said Tuesday.

The Ministry of Knowledge Economy said the memorandum of understanding (MOU) calls for strengthened ties in the training of qualified personnel, coordination of development plans and incorporating e-learning programs into government policies.
It also outlines the creation of a government-level cooperation committee and establishing a dedicated organization that can pursue joint development and commercialization efforts.

Costa Rica has benchmarked South Korea as its model for an e-learning growth strategy and expressed interest in building up cooperative relations. South Korea is one of the few countries in the world to have built up e-learning capabilities in a short period of time.

“The MOU is significant because it will allow local e-learning businesses to gain access to the Costa Rican market and neighboring countries,” an official said. He added that Seoul will provide consulting services to Costa Rica for one year so the country can create its blueprint for growth.

The local e-learning market has grown 75 percent in the last five years, with its value in 2008 estimated at some 1.87 trillion won (US$1.61 billion).

YonhapNewsAgency

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