South Korea begins training of first batch of blockchain specialists

The government of South Korea has commenced the training of its first batch of blockchain specialists, The Next Web reported referring to a report from local outlet Kinews reports.

A batch of 42 candidates has been selected for the course through a series of applications and interviews.

Walton Blockchain Institute hosted the very first lecture focused on blockchain technology on Monday, September 3, as part of the efforts of the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Information and Communications to cultivate 10,000 blockchain talents. The Institute was officially established in June 2018 in Seoul.

The course is part of the South Korean government’s Blockchain Technology Development Strategy announced in June, which includes a plan to invest KRW 100 billion in the next 10 years to promote the blockchain industry development.

During the six-month course, students will undergo eight hours of daily tuition and training on the technology. The objective is to nurture talent and create blockchain experts, who will be industry-ready right after graduation.

Last month, the ministry revealed that it has included blockchain, AI and other cutting edge technologies for its 2018 Innovative Growing Youth Talent Concentration Project.

The government has also recently announced that it plans to invest more than 1 trillion won in big data, blockchain and sharing economy in 2019.