..from: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104-5070335.html?tag=nl

Asian trio in deal to replace Windows By CNETAsia Staff CNETAsia September 2, 2003, 12:17 PM PT

Three North Asian countries are closer to signing a deal to codevelop an open-source operating system to replace Microsoft Windows, according to a Japanese news report.

The agreement is likely to be announced this week by Japanese Trade Minister Takeo Hiranuma at an economic ministers' meeting in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, the report in Japan news daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun said, quoting unnamed sources.

The deal is expected to bring together China, Japan and Korea in efforts to develop the software. Representatives from both private and government agencies will meet later this year to discuss the collaboration's terms, according to the report. [...]

The three governments previously pledged to support open-source software, citing security and cost concerns. The current row over claims by The SCO Group that Linux uses code lifted from SCO-owned Unix does not seem to have dampened official enthusiasm for the platform, though the governments are expected to continue to closely monitor the situation. Japan this month reaffirmed official support for the platform and encouraged its industries to continue using it. [...]

----------------------- ..from: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104_2-5084811.html

Korea launches a switch to open source By Seung eun Myung CNET News.com October 1, 2003, 8:05 AM PT

The South Korean government has announced that by 2007 it plans to replace proprietary software with open-source alternatives on a substantial number of its PCs and servers.

Thousands of computers in ministries, government-linked organizations and universities in South Korea will replace Microsoft's Windows operating system and Office productivity suite with open-source alternatives under the plan, according to the country's Ministry of Information and Communication.

Twenty percent of desktop software and 30 percent of server software will be changed to open source by 2007, said a representative from the Ministry of Information and Communication. [...]