“Smart” clothes equipped with MP3 players expected to be hit the market later this year. The clothes are part of the Commerce, Industry and Energy Ministry’s project to develop future “smart” outfits that started in August 2004./Yonhap

Wearable MP3 players will hit the market later this year, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said Wednesday. Beaucre Merchandising and Fashion Consulting Group will introduce “smart” clothes equipped with a fabric cord and buttons that act as an MP3 player and can be connected to earphones. The clothes, mainly useful for sports activities like skiing and jogging, are washable, the ministry said.

The ministry expected other types of smart outfits to be introduced within a year or two: outdoor sportswear, which automatically adjusts by measuring body temperature and outside temperature; and healthcare wear, which measures vital signs of people during exercise and sends the information to the server of a fitness center.

Children’s underwear with a barcode containing the cell phone numbers of parents to help them find their children if they get lost will also be introduced soon, the ministry said.

Ministry official Lee Jae-hoon said the volume of the global smart outfit market will grow from US$200 million in 2008 to US$7 billion in 2014. He expects Korea to capture a more than 20 percent share in the market in 2008 with sales of W35 billion (US$1=W965).

(englishnews@chosun.com )