The Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) announced Tuesday that it will strongly promote strategic introduction of the next-generation Internet address system IPv6, replacing the existing IPv4 system.

MIC officials said that IPv6 will emerge as a solution to the global shortage of IPv4 addresses, noting that Korea will have an opportunity to lead the world's Internet industry.

In March, the ministry formed an advisory council composed of experts from both the public and private sectors to bring about a strategic transfer to IPv6 as well as to seek ways to promote IPv6-related Internet businesses.

IPv6 is an acronym for Internet Protocol version 6 and is composed of 128 bits. It is initially expected to be used in areas such as the wireless Internet, Internet-enabled home appliances and ITS (intelligent traffic system). The existing IPv4 is made up of 32 bits.

With a sharp increase in the number of Internet users and the emergence of new Internet services, officials forecast a complete drain on IPv4 by the year 2008. Currently, about 50 percent of the space for IPv4 addresses, estimated to be around 4.2 billion, has been assigned, according to MIC.

Officials contend that a shortage of Internet addresses could occur faster in countries like Korea, Japan and China where the introduction of the Internet occurred later. An early introduction of IPv6, therefore, would resolve the drain on Internet addresses, expected to occur between 2003 and 2005, while providing momentum to prepare for the vitalization of the next generation Internet market, according to MIC.

Meanwhile, around 80 IT companies worldwide such as AT&T, 3COM and NTT established the International IPv6 Forum and have been sharing IPv6-related technology. Korea Telecom and ETRI (Electric Telecom Research Institute) have joined the forum and countries around the Pacific Rim are in the middle of IPv6 test operations.