Korea see's the future of their textile industry in smart textiles. They set up a five year R&D program for smart textiles with the same founding Germany did this year ($15.5 million).

"Advances in smart textile technology could help increase the brand power of the nation's fashion industry," said Cho Dae-hyun, the director of research and development at Korea Textile Development Institute.

Korea will set itself apart from China and Vietnam. They say that for the country it's impossible to compete with the quantities. But both don't have the technology needed for Wearable Computing. That should be the chance for the nation's textile industry.

Some predict that the world market for smart apparel will grow to $7 billion by 2014 and Korea could achieve a 20 percent market share.

Professor Lee Ju-hyun of Yonsei University's Graduate School of Human Environmental Sciences is part of the research program:

"We still have half of the five-year R&D program left for further research; we will be able to develop the technology in preparation for the changing market place."

via The Korea Herald

Picture: the oldest university in Korea, the Yonsei University