Korea won a global grand prize from the United Nations on Tuesday over its electronic government system for the second straight time, the latest sign of Seoul's top status in electronic public administration systems.

Maeng Hyung-kyu, minister of public administration and security, received the honor at the U.N. General Assembly Hall in New York.

  

The award is based on the United Nations' assessment of more than 190 member states' level of electronic public administration. The global body began the assessment in 2003 to facilitate cooperation among countries in building e-governments.

South Korea, one of the most wired countries in the world, scored the highest in the "e-government development index" in the U.N. E-government Survey 2012, according to the U.N. Web site.

South Korea is followed by the Netherlands, Britain, Denmark and the United States in the index compiled every other year.

South Korea is a world leader in e-government systems for managing state finances, tariffs, public procurement, patent data and other administrative procedures as well as public records that promote efficiency and enable citizens to interact more with their government.

"South Korea's winning of the U.N. e-government global grand prize for the second straight time will serve as an occasion to enhance South Korea's standing and national interest," Maeng said at the ceremony, according to his office in Seoul.

In 2010, South Korea also won the global grand prize from the U.N.

On Tuesday, Maeng also received a regional grand prize and another top award in the field of e-participation.

South Korea said it can export about US$300 million worth of e-government systems this year, a dramatic jump from $100,000 in 2002, according to the ministry of public administration and security.

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Source:Yonhap News (June 26, 2012)