On behalf of Pacific Neighborhood Consortium（PNC）, it is my privilege to welcome all of you to PNC 2024 Annual Conference and Joint Meetings.

PNC is honored to co-host this prestigious conference with Korea University and Academia Sinica this year, underscoring our commitment to addressing global issues and fostering the exchange of state -of- the art digital technologies. We also receive immense support from co-hosts and technical sponsors, including Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI), IEEE Seoul Section, and Taiwan’s Ministry of Education. On behalf of Academia Sinica and PNC, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the sponsors and partners for their enthusiasm and support.

In recent years, the increasing severity of global warming and climate change, along with the rapid development of digital technology and artificial intelligence, have brought significant disruption and transformation to academia, education, and various industries. One of the most notable success stories is the Korean Wave (Hallyu) culture, which has rapidly taken root and flourished globally through the promotion of the internet and digital communities. We see that Korean pop music, idols, dramas, and games have become integrated into our daily lives.

Digital technology has presented humanity with both opportunities and challenges. While it allows us to quickly gather the information needed for research and learning, it has also led to an increase in issues such as misinformation and fraud. While digital technology offers convenience to humanity, its production and transportation processes continue to result in environmental pollution and exacerbate global warming.

The theme of this year's PNC conference is to present these issues and invite experts and scholars to explore the signals being sent out globally. The conference's theme, "Green, Mobility, and Signal: Reconnecting Fragmented Communities in the Digital Transformation Era," highlights the main focus of our event.

The conference convenes distinguished researchers and scholars from diverse fields, including information technology, the humanities, and social sciences, to explore a broad spectrum of topics. Meanwhile, the conference program includes thematic workshops, as well as a poster session on various topics. In addition, I would like to encourage all participants to join the reception, the evening banquet and the excursion to embrace cultural diversity and the Korean cuisine of Seoul. Last but not least, I would like to express our deepest appreciation to the local hosts: Asiatic Research Institute and Institute for Digital HUSS, Korea University, numerous co-sponsors, and the staff of the Korea University. Without their great dedication and efforts in organizing this event, the PNC conference could never come to fruition.

Thank you for joining us, and I wish everyone a fruitful and enriching experience at the PNC 2024 Annual Conference in Seoul!

It is an honor to host the PNC Annual Conference and PNC’s Joint Meetings, as well as welcome over 160 scholars from around the world to Korea's leading university.

Korea University, founded in 1905, will celebrate its 120th anniversary next year. As a leader in higher education, we have continually addressed global issues and crises with a vision rooted in "freedom, justice, and truth." Our Asiatic Research Institute, for example, has been at the forefront of interdisciplinary research in the humanities, social, natural sciences, and engineering, leveraging digital and IT technologies since 1993.

I would like to thank Professors Chin-shing HAUNG and Hsi-yuan CHEN, the Chairs of the PNC, for choosing Korea University as the conference venue for the second time, following Seoul National University in 2006. I also would like to thank Prof. Jinhan LEE and the staff of the Asiatic Research Institute for their hard work in organizing this event.

This year's PNC conference theme, "Green, Flow and Signal: Reconnecting the Fragmented Communities in the Age of Digital Transformation," is particularly significant. The theme resonates with the current global challenges, such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical tensions. These issues force us to reconsider the concepts of civilization and development and question whether the world is heading towards a united global village or a fragmented community.

As we gather here, I hope you all engage in meaningful discussions on how ‘Green’, ‘Flow,’ and the digital signals from the Korean Peninsula impact the world. This conference comes at a critical juncture where we must strive to reconnect fragmented communities through the lens of digital transformation.

I hope this conference will be fruitful and serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas that align with the enduring spirit of Korea University. May it be a beacon of light that shines "freedom, justice, and truth" spread across the Pacific Ocean and beyond.

Thank you.