Internet in South Korea
Encyclopedia
South Korea
has emerged to become the world leader in Internet connectivity and speed. The government had established policies and programs that facilitated a rapid expansion and use of broadband
.
, have speeds of up to 100 Mbit/s. VDSL is commonly found in newer apartments while ADSL is normally found in landed properties where the telephone exchange is far away.
The Internet has a higher status for many Koreans than it does in the West, and the government actively supports this. South Korea's broadband network is the fastest and according to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
the most developed in the world. Particularly Seoul
, the nation's capital, has been called "the bandwidth capital of the world". In January 2006, it became the first country to achieve over 50% broadband penetration per capita. By 2005, it was the first country to complete the conversion from dial-up to broadband. It also has the cheapest, fastest broadband in the world. Now there are experiments with speeds of 1 Gigabit per second. Additionally, in 2005 96.8% of South Korean mobile phones had Internet access.
and HSDPA is the most common technology used in South Korea's wireless broadband. Many public restaurants offer free Wi-Fi
Internet during business hours.
In one incident a couple were convicted after starving their baby to death, due to their desire to spend an average of 10 hours per day playing online games in Internet cafes.
SK Broadband, a major ISP provider in South Korea has started a campaign named "Happy Internet Mentoring" in 2010 for Korean middle school students in order to solve the Internet addiction problem in Korea.
, Eric Schmidt, made a negative remark on the South Korean internet environment for falling "a little bit behind" due to governmental regulations during a conference with Choi See-Joong
, chairman of Korea Communications Commission
, and President Lee Myung-bak
.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
has emerged to become the world leader in Internet connectivity and speed. The government had established policies and programs that facilitated a rapid expansion and use of broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
.
National program
South Korea leads in the number of DSL connections per head worldwide. ADSL is standard, but VDSL has started growing quickly. ADSL commonly offers speeds of 2 Mbit/s to 8 Mbit/s, with VDSL accordingly faster. The large proportion of South Korea's population living in apartment blocks helps the spread of DSL, as does a high penetration of consumer electronics in general. Many apartment buildings in built-up metropolitan areas, such as Seoul and IncheonIncheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
, have speeds of up to 100 Mbit/s. VDSL is commonly found in newer apartments while ADSL is normally found in landed properties where the telephone exchange is far away.
The Internet has a higher status for many Koreans than it does in the West, and the government actively supports this. South Korea's broadband network is the fastest and according to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation is a U.S. non-profit public policy think tank based out of Washington, D.C. The organization focuses on public policies that spur technology innovation. Robert D...
the most developed in the world. Particularly Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, the nation's capital, has been called "the bandwidth capital of the world". In January 2006, it became the first country to achieve over 50% broadband penetration per capita. By 2005, it was the first country to complete the conversion from dial-up to broadband. It also has the cheapest, fastest broadband in the world. Now there are experiments with speeds of 1 Gigabit per second. Additionally, in 2005 96.8% of South Korean mobile phones had Internet access.
Wireless broadband
South Korea offers wireless broadband in major cities. WibroWiBro
WiBro is a wireless broadband Internet technology developed by the South Korean telecoms industry. WiBro is the South Korean service name for IEEE 802.16e international standard...
and HSDPA is the most common technology used in South Korea's wireless broadband. Many public restaurants offer free Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
Internet during business hours.
Internet addiction
It is estimated that South Korea has over 2 million Internet addicts, about 8.5% of the Korean web users.In one incident a couple were convicted after starving their baby to death, due to their desire to spend an average of 10 hours per day playing online games in Internet cafes.
SK Broadband, a major ISP provider in South Korea has started a campaign named "Happy Internet Mentoring" in 2010 for Korean middle school students in order to solve the Internet addiction problem in Korea.
Real name policy
There is a government-level proposal to stamp out anonymity in the South Korean internet environment.Criticism
CEO of GoogleGoogle
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, Eric Schmidt, made a negative remark on the South Korean internet environment for falling "a little bit behind" due to governmental regulations during a conference with Choi See-Joong
Choi See-Joong
Choi See-Joong is a South Korean politician who is the current chief of the Korea Communications Commission. He is notable for supporting controversial decisions in the South Korean telecommunication scene.-Criticism:...
, chairman of Korea Communications Commission
Korea Communications Commission
Korea Communications Commission is a South Korean media regulation agency modeled after the Federal Communications Commission of the United States of America. It was established on February 29, 2008...
, and President Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak is the President of South Korea. Prior to his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction and the mayor of Seoul. He is married to Kim Yoon-ok and has three daughters and one son. His older brother is Lee Sang-deuk, a South Korean politician. He attends the...
.