KT Corp., the country’s biggest fixed-line service operator, said Sunday that 20,000 of its workforce will take part in the company’s “smart working” program starting this month.

The company said it will encourage more people to participate in the flexible working system as it brought positive outcomes such as an increase in productivity in a group that has tested the system since last September.

Earlier in August, KT said it would build flexible working centers, which are remote working spaces where users can bring their laptops to do company work, in nine different locations in the greater Seoul area, planning to expand the figure to 30 by 2012.

The introduction of the new system to its goal of 3.5 million KT workers is projected to reduce the commute by 25,000 hours, curb carbon dioxide emissions by 550,000 tons and cut direct expenses by 330 billion won, its officials said.

The move was in line with the government’s plan to promote the smart working environment, setting its goal of boosting the portion of “smart workers” to 30 percent of the employed population by 2015.

“We’re making plans to offer smart working services in many different areas based on different factors like our nationwide fixed-line and wireless networks, cloud computing facilities and our real estate assets across the country,” said a KT official.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)