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Here’s  a new video I recorded and edited using my iPhone4 and the ReelDirector app.

I recorded this back in January when myself, Herself and her thirteen year old cousin all went to the 63 Building in Seoul. I’d never been and if wasn’t for the Picasso exhibition in the gallery on the top floor I don’t think I would have bothered going up. As you can see, it was absolutely freezing outside. In fact, I’m not even sure why there are people outside, let alone taking a tour boat down the frozen Han River

The ReelDirector app is ok, I’d like a bit more variety in the choice of fonts for adding titles and for a feature that allows you to playback after you add or edit something. The last time I used it you had to edit the whole thing, save it, then play it back. Now, in fairness, there was an upgrade a while ago and I haven’t used it since so maybe this has been rememdied. Unfortunately, you don’t get enough time to see some of the pictures and the glass in the windors is a bit dirty so it doesn’t look great at times – you’d think they’d get someone out there and give them an ould wipe!

Please let me know what you think here or on youtube :)

 

…and while you’re at it why not visit my youtube channel

- Conzie Visual -

Including
- travel videos from Ireland, Korea and Japan
- live poetry readings
- Poetry videos
- People

 


Letter from Korea, April 2011

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Suwon, South Korea
April 30, 2011

Dear Ireland,

Apologies for my lack of correspondence, I’ve been busy believe it or not. I won’t bore you with the details but I would in fact prefer to inform you of one of the reasons that I haven’t had as much time as usual to sit down and write you a lovely letter, as has been my wont for almost a year.

Recently, myself and Herself have become business people. We are proprietors. Not in the traditional sense, more in a temporary and experimental sense.

As I wrote in a previous post, I spend a lot of time in my friend’s traditional Korean tea shop that is close to our home. Recently the owner propositioned Herself whether or not she would like to run the tea shop. Herself was duly excited by the prospect and we decided we would take it on board for a few months and try it out.

This was duly done. The menu was changed and modernised – we brought in fresh juices, smoothies, coffee, beer, sangria and wine to drink, and we added sandwiches, soups and curries to the menu. Herself also bakes daily. As the owner is a vegetarian she asked us to keep it vegetarian fare, which isn’t a problem as dealing with meat is something I think we should avoid until we have a bit more experience outside of cooking our own dinners. As far as I can tell, everyone who has eaten in our new business has only complimented the food.

Along with changing the food, we changed the name to The OK Café. ‘O’ is for O’Reilly and ‘K’ is for Kim, and ‘Café’ because it is more like a café than a coffee shop or a tea shop – for me a café sells drinks, food and alcohol. I think in Korea the meaning of café has been confused with a place that just sells coffee and cakes. This is definitely not the case in most of Europe, and I’d wager that stateside is a similar state of affairs.

Last Saturday we had a music festival to celebrate the opening and new partnership with our friend Suni who still uses much of the space as a yoga studio, for holding group meals and other reasons. The 2nd International Music Festival was a huge success – We had over twelve performers with traditional Korean 창stealing the show followed closely by the mesmeric guitar work of LRD. We even managed to pull some people out of the crowd to sing a song or two with the music continuing long into the night and early hours. Fortunately it was worth it with not a drop of drink left in the house at the end of it all.

The whole experience has been unique. We have talked about opening our café or small restaurant for a long time and when the opportunity landed at our feet we didn’t know how to refuse. Of course, it is a temporary experiment for all concerned.  Opening a business is a difficult task for anyone, and it is especially difficult when you have little to no money.

In Korea, to open a business as a licensed company, the best alternative if you will need financial backing from the banks, you must have 50 million won. There are two possible reasons for this. If you are a foreigner you need it to get an investors visa. Also, and this applies to Korean citizens also, it is a legal stipulation that you have this money – I suppose that you can prove that you have financial support in case things go slower than expected or belly-up in a fortnight and you have to pay suppliers etc. We avoided both of these.

We are only subletting the premises, so we don’t actually own the business. We just manage it. So this is handy. I suppose. I won’t go into the current complications with this.

That being said it’s not all rosy. Finding customers is a problem. Our menu, sandwiches and curry essentially, doesn’t really tingle the taste buds when you mention it to the Yeongtong locals, an area devoid of fine dining but rife with barbecue restaurants, noraebang and bars (not to mention the room salons on the outskirts). Yes there are a lot of foreigners in the area, but the standard practice is to gravitate towards NOW Bar or escape into Seoul. They certainly aren’t gravitating towards The OK Café.

We started this with very little money and even less planning. Our expectations weren’t high but at the same time when these aren’t met how can we expect to make further progress. I look at all the other venues that are operated by westerners in Korea and they seem to be packed full of events every day of the week. But what about people who don’t want to go to events and who want to just relax and have a glass of wine or just sit and read in comfortable surroundings? That’s what we have created. A space that is not what everywhere else is offering. But are we open in the wrong part of the world? Do people not want this in Korea where the gimmick is king?

Atmosphere alone was our selling point, but do we have to get the ring of balloons around the door and the dancing girl in a short skirt just to get people to walk in the door and up the stairs? Maybe we should we scrap the healthy food and throw down a pig roast served by topless women covered in cream?

Or maybe we should just wait and see what happens.


What side dishes would foreigner's prefer with their Indian food?

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Last night JH and I went to Old Delhi, a restaurant here in Nowon at the end of Culture Street, which serves up very delicious Indian fare. Around the time we were nearly finished, and ordered more garlic naan, the restaurant owner came over to our table and asked the following question.

"What side dishes would foreigner's prefer with their Indian food?"

Of course, this was through JH's translation and the point of his question was that when foreigners visit his restaurant they usually do not eat the side dishes, and so he was wondering what other options he could serve. The current side dishes were kimchi, pickled radish and pickles. I enjoy the pickles but never touch the rest. 

After much thinking and talking it over with JH we came to some ideas that if he served cabbage and corn salad that would be good. Of course, it would be best if he came up with something that truly complemented the wonderful Indian food, but I figured the guy just wanted something simple and that foreigners would be compelled to eat. We then tried our best to describe a cabbage and corn salad and what dressing to use. I told him to avoid mayonnaise as a dressing, as this is very common and instead use an olive oil or balsamic type base.

He also seemed to inquire why not many foreigners frequent his restaurant, and my simple answer was they probably don't know where it is. He thanked us and let us finish our meal. 

The next thing I knew he came over to the table with a little dish and some small spoons. Apparently, he got the chef to make a dressing and wanted us to try it. The taste was pretty good and I could see it had mustard seeds, olive oil and some citrus juice in it. I said that it would likely work with shredded cabbage.  Then, through translation, I gave some ideas on how he could get foreigners to frequent his place by advertising at bars and hagwons. 

There was a great payoff to all this advice as we left with a take away package of our whole meal re-made for us. I also left him with some written down websites he should check out, such as Seoul Eats and Zen Kimchi. 

So folks, if you are in Nowon and make your way down Culture Street (to the end) and find yourself in Old Delhi having a cabbage-salad-sidedish, you might just have me to thank.

;)
—

May Day

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Happy Spring!


 Cherry Blossom Festival in Yeoido, SO MANY people!



Pinwheel garden 
 ♥





 it all falls down...
 bike riding on the Han river




The sun was warm but the wind was chill.

You know how it is with an April day.
~Robert Frost


—

Ellie Teacher

onedayillflyaway.com

May 2011 events

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Author’s note: There’s bound to be updates to this month’s events – keep checking back for more information and new events! If you have an event you’d like to plug, comment on this post or contact me with all the details. Please follow a few guidelines for the maximum benefit.

April 6 – May 29: Cirque du Soleil Varekei has finally made its way to Seoul after having toured much of the rest of the world – it opened in Montreal in 2002, although it’s just now coming to Asia. If you’ve ever wanted to feel awed and amazed without attempting illegal narcotics, this is easily the best way to do it. While not worth the price of admission alone, Irina Naumenko bends her way into some extraordinary positions to ‘save’ our man Icarus. Cirque du Soleil takes the best forms of human talent, harnesses them into a spectacle, and leaves an unforgettable night permanently embedded in your memory. Jamsil Sports Complex, 60,000 – 220,000 won a seat. For more information, check out http://www.varekai.co.kr/sub_6_4.php or call Interpark at 02-1544-1555.

April 29 – May 10: the Hampyeong Butterfly Festival – it doesn’t seem to rank high among the foreigners (Brian’s review from two years ago was less than praiseworthy), but it’s considered one of the best festivals by Visit Korea. It’s about half an hour from Gwangju, so it’s not too far from civilization.

May 1 (9:00am-12pm): History comes alive in Seoul everyday, but today is a once-a-year celebration. It’s the Jongmyo Daeje – the ceremony honoring the spirits of the former kings and queens. Starts at Gyeongbokgung downtown, then parades its way to the Jongmyo Shrine. Learn more through an official tourist website.

May 3-8: Damyang Bamboo Festival: Enjoy the power of bamboo – what can wood do for you? The Damyang Bamboo Festival organizes hands-on programs for families, offering an experience in ecology and culture. Visitors can walk in the bamboo groves, ride on a bamboo raft, or shoot a bamboo arrow. A variety of performances will be staged, including a bamboo dance. The festival ends with a ceremonial fire fueled with bamboo. Learn more at bamboofestival.co.kr, or check out my recent trip to Damyang.

May 3-7: Herbs, anyone? The Daegu Yangyeongsi Herb Medicine Festival may be a good chance to learn more about the local herbal culture. The nearby museum is fun as well – quite a bit of information in English – and is worth stopping by if you’re in the area.

May 4-8: Hadong Wild Tea Cultural Festival - not sure what’s so cultural about wild tea, but Visit Korea says it is “showcasing a variety of programs including handpicking green tea leaves, participating in a traditional tea ceremony and making traditional tea bowls.” It looks like a really pretty area, however – and a good excuse to get out of town. Learn more at Visit Korea.

May 4-8: now here’s a new one – Yeoncheon Jeongok-ri Paleolithic Festival – held in Gyeonggi-do near the site of some Paleolithic ruins. Sure, there are several other festivals happening this weekend, but this one is closest to Seoul, if that makes a difference. Learn about the history of humans, and check out the Visit Korea page for more information.

May 5-10: Hi Seoul Festival – thanks to a budget cutback, the extravagance of previous years is making way for more performance-based art. The non-verbal theme will fit nicely with the goal of attracting an international audience, and quite a few well-known attractions, including NANTA, circus performances, and puppets. Attractions are scattered around Yeouido Hangang Park, Seoul Square (across from Seoul Station), and Cheonggye Square. For more information, check out the official English-language site.

May 6-8: World DJ Festival – it’s so popular, Seoul can’t contain it. The newer, bigger venue in Yangpyeong (eastern Gyeonggi-do, closest to Yangpyeong station on the Jungang line) Performing this weekend: Dada Life (Sweden), Blatta & Inesha (Italy), D’Jamency (France), Jesse Jamz (USA), Freemasons (UK), Lazy Rich (Canada), Will Bailey (UK), Shut Da Mouth (Korea), 2E Love, House Rulez, Oriental Funk Stew, Freakhouze, East Collective, Clubber Langz, DJ Shai, UJN & Nova, MazestiK aka InnuRoh, Roem, Triple House, Soolee, Inside Core, Limzi, DJ AB, Bada Lehner, Mackay, Planet Shiver, DJ Rubato, Lee Sangeun, Wiretap in My Ear, Guckasten, Dok2, The Quiett, Rude Paper, Garion, 45 rpm, Soul Company, DJ INgram, DJ Nega, DJ Pandol, The Z, and many more. Seven stages. Their site has an English section, as well as a Facebook page.

May 7: pick something up from the First Saturday Flea Market, put on by the Seorae Global Village Center. If you have something to sell, registration is free, but must be done by the DAY BEFORE. Call 02-2155-8915 or email [email protected] to learn more.

May 7: Mozart “Requiem”, Quintana’s “Mass From Two Worlds”. Mozart’s last and unfinished work was completed by one of his students. Enjoy it because it’s beautiful classical music reminding us of our mortality, or because you’d prefer to get away from the Hongdae / Itaewon crowds for a night. 15,000 in advance, 25,000 at the door. Chung-dong First Methodist Church near City Hall. Learn more at Camarata Music Company’s website.

May 7-8 (12pm-8:30pm): Make some new chingu at the Seoul Friendship Fair. While the official offerings are everything from performances and art to street events, the World Food Court is perhaps the best reason to go. Don’t even think about eating before you come – there are dozens of food trucks, each offering respective country’s delicacies. Alcohol from around the world is around to help you wash it down as well. Seoul Plaza (i.e. that big piece of grass in front of City Hall).

May 11-14: The World IT show – because you know your inner geek needs to come out and see what’s happening in the real world every now and then. COEX mall, halls A, C, and D. http://www.worlditshow.co.kr/eng/

May 14-15: 2nd Green Plugged Festival. Jaurim, Crying Nut, No Brain, Lee Han Choul, Huckleberry Finn, Tacopy, Paris Match (Japan), Superkidd, Mongni, Guckkasten, Ibadi, W&Whale, Winterplay, Daybreak, Lee Jang Hyuk, Lee JiHyung, Sohee, Anyang Bada, Dearcloud, Ynot?, Galaxy Express, Common Ground, Serengeti, Eve, Wiretap in My Ear, Naru, Gogo Star, Yaya, Soran, Dot, Ruby Star, and many more. 88,000 won sounds like a lot, but you know how much it costs to feed those musicians, not to mention new guitar strings and drumsticks. See http://greenplugged.com/ for more.

May 14: Time for a Flash Freeze with Improv Korea! Starting around 4:30pm in Insa-dong, be prepared to freeze in place, not meet anyone before-hand, and create a scene for the enjoyment of locals! Wear red and be prepared to have a good time! For more information, check out the Facebook event page.

May 14: Belly dancing! Specifically, the World Bellydancing Day Korea. Plenty of bellies moving around in classic fashion, raising money for Korean Women’s Association United (KWAU) and Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center (KSVRC). An amateur show is at 5pm (admission: 5,000 won), while a two-hour show of professionals starts at 7pm (admission: 44,000 won). Oriental House Theater in Seongbuk-gu. See the Facebook event page for more.

May 21: it’s that time of year again – the Haebangchon Festival returns to central Seoul. The twice-a-year indie music festival features the local artists of Haebangchon. They’re not world-famous names, but the atmosphere is convivial and full of energy. For more information, check out the official website.

May 22-29: Chuncheon Mime Festival – all jokes aside, this is becoming more internationally recognized, and performers will hail from around the world. For more information, check out the official page.

May 26-29: The Ulsan Whale Festival – unless you’re interesting in building ships, you probably haven’t had a reason to visit Ulsan until now. Check out the traditional whale fishing, a whale singing competition, and my favorite, the whale cake-making. This sounds a lot like a county fair back in the US. Don’t forget about making whale ice sculptures… in May… For more information, check out the official English website.

May 28, June 4, and June 11: You Are Not Alone: Cabaret for Good will run for 3 Saturday nights at 8:00 pm at Club After Mainstage in Itaewon. This show, in addition to being a lot of fun for performers and audience, will be a fundraiser for three charities – Habitat for Humanity, the House of Sharing, and Japan disaster relief. Plenty of classics and songs you’ll probably be singing along with – and the won goes to a good cause. For more information, check out seoulplayers.com.

May 31 (DEADLINE): DEADLINE for play submissions, director applications, and collaborative project proposals
Date: MAY 31 2011. Email to info AT seoulplayers.com with TEN MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL SUBMISSION in the subject

DIRECTORS – please submit a resume and a paragraph or two detailing your directing style and what you’d hope to get out of directing for the festival. First time directors are encouraged to apply! DEADLINE: May 31, 2011

PLAYWRIGHTS – plays must be 10 minutes or shorter. You may submit 1 or 2 plays. DEADLINE: MAY 31, 2011

Creative Commons License © Chris Backe – 2011

This post was originally published on my blog ,Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.

 2nd Green Plugged Festival. Jaurim, Crying Nut, No Brain, Lee Han Choul, Huckleberry Finn, Tacopy, Paris Match (Japan), Superkidd, Mongni, Guckkasten, Ibadi, W&Whale, Winterplay, Daybreak, Lee Jang Hyuk, Lee JiHyung, Sohee, Anyang Bada, Dearcloud, Ynot?, Galaxy Express, Common Ground, Serengeti, Eve, Wiretap in My Ear, Naru, Gogo Star, Yaya, Soran, Dot, Ruby Star, and many more.
—

 

Strange Things of Korea : Sculpture Parks, Part 3 (해신당공원)

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Another scultpure park, this time entirely penis-themed. You can find in Samcheok. The origin of the wooden penis statues displayed in the park lays in a local legend. Here's an English version of the legend I found on the Korean tourism agency website:




Legend of Aebawi and Haesindang – There once lived a young maid who was engaged. One day, the maid took her husband’s boat out to sea to harvest seaweed. Her husband dropped her off at a rock that was at a distance from the beach. After promising to pick her up later, he returned to the beach to do his work. Later, the weather changed, and brought with it strong winds and pummeling waves. The man couldn’t rescue his wife and she ultimately drowned. Since then, the village people caught no fish and some said that it was because of the dead maid. To soothe the spirit of the dead maid, the village people made several wooden carvings and held religious ceremonies on her behalf. After a while, the fish slowly returned and the villagers were able to live comfortably again. The place where the maid died was named Aebawi Rock and the building where the religious ceremony is held twice a year was named Haesindang. The ceremony is still honored today as a traditional folk event.

*EDIT* 
Someone asked for the translation of the writings on the last sculpture. It says : 
해신당의 전설 : The legend of Haeshindang
남근 숭배문화와 설화 : The narrative and culture of penis worshipping
(I think the story mentioned above must be engraved on the other side of the sculpture)
*EDIT*

And here are some pictures:

















—
 

Buddha’s Birthday 2011

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It is almost that time of year when the beautiful temples of Korea decorate themselves for Buddha’s birthday. This is one of my favorite times of the year. From the lantern festivals to the beautifully lit temples that light up not only the cities but the forest and mountains as well.

So what are you going to do?

Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul This is a huge event that draws thousand of people every year to watch the parade and view the lanterns. Every year I see many great shots come out of this festival. For more information, click the link above or here for the KTO’s write up on it

Also, check your local listings for events similar to this. I know here in Ulsan there is a festival on this weekend along the Taehwa River. When you are out and about, take a look at the banners or columns around major intersections. Often these will give you more information than what is posted on the net, especially for local events.

As for temples, which are my favorite here are a few that are nice to visit during this time of the year:

Tongdosa in Yongsan is a great place to view the lanterns. I have gone to this temple many times for the celebration and have not been disappointed. Many of the lanterns are lit with candles making them beautiful but also extremely flammable.  Here is Dale’s tale of Tongdosa. Here is a very avid temple hunter is his blog is a great resource for those who like to visit these places. He also rates this as one of his top 10 temples. Ed from Tigers & Magpies also has some great pics to inspire you

Haedong Younggunsa near Haeundae in Busan. I visited here last year just a bit before the big day and sadly it was locked up tight in preparation for the event. I did get a few good snaps before trying to navigate the unlit path back to my motorcycle. If you can, stop off at the coffee right before you get to the temple. They have an excellent hand-drip coffee there.

Here is another link to Dale’s post as well as Simon and Martina’s from eatyourkimchi

Seokkuram Grotto and Bulguksa in Gyeongju are always cool places to visit. It has been some time since I have been there during this event, I am sure that there is something going on to please the eye. Gyeongju is always a beutiful place even without the lanterns. If you are looking for more information on Gyeongju, check out Gyeongju Blog for places to stay and where to go If you are looking for some more forest and remote locations, take the road past Seokkuram towards the sea. Great road and a beautiful setting.

Peter from Korea How and Ju-Seok Oh tell us about Busan and show us a great shot of Sam Kwang Temple. A great shot and a great article on Busan.

That is about it for recommendations. Other than that, take a walk around your city and just see what surprises the evening has to offer you. Be sure to take your tripod! Please don’t try and hand-hold your shots or you will be waiting until next year to redo them. Also, try and get to the temple just before sunset. Scope out a few shots and wait for the blue hour to arrive. You will find that the colours will pop during that time. Click the link to find the blue hour time for Buddha’s Birthday and try and be set up for time. The Blue Hour site also has an iPhone app, but for $1.99, it seems a little pricy for what it does.

 

—

Jason Teale 

Photographer, educator, podcaster

Podcast    Website    Instagram

Photographing Korea and the world beyond!

 

 

Vital Visits in Itaewon

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The Itaewon and Hongdae districts of Seoul are areas that most foreigners will come to see as a sort of 'holy city' during their time in South Korea. Most Korean cities or towns are not without Western conveniences such as a few fast food joints, one or two grossly overpriced designer clothes stores, and cinemas showing Western movies in English - but for a truly homesickness inducing day, a visit to the area really is necessary.

 

A walk through Itaewon's crowded streets is one of the rare occasions in Korea where you don't feel like a minority (the other being the Mud Festival). You're likely to see a lot more Westerners in the crowds here, and for a moment it's easy to forget that you're at the heart of Korea's largest city.

 

The streets are lined alternatively with Western restaurants, souvenir stores, and Korean businesses professing to sell 'largee size' that only really suits if you're a gangbanger from the mean streets of Compton. I am deadly serious when I say that seems to be the target demographic of most of these stores. I've been in one that actually had a dedicated bling section. But if you're into baggy jeans and replica jerseys of various hockey and basketball franchises, you're in luck. You're also in something resembling luck if you happen to not be a slightly built man-boy and you need human sized clothes. Korea does not, unfortunately, really cater to those of us with extra weight, broad shoulders, or who are taller than average. You have been forewarned.

 

There is also more custom suit tailors than you can shake a rat at, and they're not shy about trying to lure you in for a fitting. Expect to be harassed by more than one well dressed ajoshi trying to get you the custom suit you've always desired. I've not had any experience purchasing one, so I can't attest as to the quality of their work.

 

But the real reasons people go to Itaewon are three-fold: - Foreign Food - Night Life - Shopping

 

Food, Glorious Food!

On the foreign food front there is an abundance of options. Burger King, KFC, and McDonalds make their token appearances. These three chains have done a brilliant job of proliferating themselves across the peninsula and you're never going to have to walk far to find one in any modestly sized town. But you'll also find Subway, Quiznos, Taco Bell, a variety of non chain Mexican restaurants, a few kebab vendors (real kebabs, not shish-kebabs), plenty of Italian joints, and even (at last check) a fantastic pita place reminiscent of the north-west US chain, Pita Pit.

 

There's also a Hard Rock Cafe that I've yet to visit, the criminally good local burger chain called Kraze Burger, the token Outback Steakhouse, a slew of Indian restaurants, and even a Thai place. Although I've not had the pleasure of dining there just yet. My hankering for a good Pad Thai and Panang Curry might get me there before too long though.

 

My personal favorites when I visit the area are the aforementioned Pita Pit knock-off, Quiznos, Cold Stone, and a rather good hole in the wall Mexican place called Amigos. It's down the same street on which you'll find Taco Bell and Geckos and while it's small, the food is amongst the better Mexican fare you'll find in Korea. I've had American friends issue reviews ranging from 'really good' to 'meh' though, so I guess it really does come down to individual taste. I've never once been unhappy with my food there though.

Good times at Amigos in 2009 with Cody, Desiree, and Fallon

My delicious vegetarian burrito. So good that it's the only thing I've tried on their menu!

 

I love the night life. I love to boogie.

On the night life front, Itaewon (and nearby Hongdae) offer more foreigner friendly establishments than you'll find almost anywhere else in the country. With the large US military presence in the area, there's no shortage of tastes of home such as Dr. Pepper, real beer, and bar food of a more substantial variety than the popcorn, salted spaghetti sticks, and dried seaweed you're likely to find in your average hof. I've had mixed experiences with the boys in uniform. Some of the servicemen I've met have been genuinely good blokes just having a good time, but in too many cases blowing off steam has equated to picking fights and pawing drunkenly at any and all Western females they encounter. It's an unfortunate example to be setting, and the primary reason I avoid military favored hangouts like Geckos.

 

My old friend Dean enjoying bucket cocktails at a bar whose name escapes me. Something about monkeys? Photo by Lesley Wells

But there are plenty of other great alcohol options in Seoul, and I only wish I had been drinking there recently enough to have an updated list for you. As my visit last weekend was to see the folks and do some sight-seeing, I didn't find time to imbibe at any of the Itaewon watering holes.

 

I've long been a fan of the Irish themed Wolfhound. Just around the corner from Geckos in a nondescript alley, Wolfhound is a real old fashioned pub complete with pub food, pool tables, and a healthy selection of beer and slightly over-priced cocktails. It's my preferred stop off point for an evening meal - with everything from mushy peas to a full English on tap at all hours. The place is never quiet from my experience, and while there's a modest dance floor, it's primarily a drinks and hanging out kind of pub. My style.

Good times at the Wolfhound in 2008. Photo by Jami Esbenshade

 

Other similarly pub like bars include the Canadian themed Rocky Mountain Tavern, the aforementioned Gecko's Terrace (which does have good food to its credit), and the dingy but enjoyable Loft. The latter has frequent ladies nights, so it's a good place to go if you're looking to meet a drunk Western girl. I know that was the reason for my sole visit to that particular establishment. No comment as to whether it worked or not.

 

There's plentiful options as far as clubs go, but since they're not really my speed, my visits to them have primarily been in a bag carrying male friend capacity and they've never lasted long. The sole one that sticks out in my head was Spy Bar. If you like crowded, sweaty, smoky clubs in which thumping bass is all you can hear - it's pretty much what you're looking for.

 

My knowledge of the Seoul drinking scene isn't particularly strong, but there's plenty of information available at websites such as KoreaBridge and Galbijim if you want to do a little more research.

 

Buying the Essentials

No visit to Seoul is complete without a visit to two of its most famous foreigner haunts - the Foreigner Market and What the Book?

 

What the Book? lies along the main drag of Itaewon (the same street where the subway station exits are) and has a large collection of new and used books at very reasonable prices. It's no Borders or Dymocks (shout out to Australian readers) but it's got a surprisingly varied selection of books ranging from the token fantasy section and fiction to Self Help, History, Education, and Politics. There's also a healthy graphic novel section, a large children's section, and the required travel section for those of us with horizons that stretch beyond the bars of our respective towns.

 

Kimberly and I visited primarily to get the next book for the Daejeon/Cheonan book club we'd joined, but she deviously snatched up the sole copy of The Poisonwood Bible and left me clutching at thin air. Not to be deterred, I did pick up a pair of non-fiction books to exercise my mind in the absence of my beloved Kindle. May it rest in peace. I grabbed Penguin's Complete History of the World and a book on writing to hopefully bust me out of my writer's block funk. Kimberly came away with an armful of novels and I think even my folks grabbed some books on Korean cooking and culture for their already exhaustive library.

 

From What the Book? it's not a particularly long walk towards the Foreigner Market - although ours was interrupted by my parents doing some souvenir shopping. The Foreigner Market is a claustrophobia inducing little storefront with a very substantial selection of non Korean food. While the bulk of it tends towards servicing a South-East Asian and Indian population - there's still plenty of tastes of home there to tide you over. From real cheese (including feta and haloumi) to tortillas, pita, and bread; from Tim Tams and Flaming Hot Cheetos to refried beans, Mi Goreng instant noodles (ramen), and lentils. There's pesto and A&W Root Beer, a decent selection of deodorants and gums, taco shells, taco seasoning, and even the very good Ritter chocolate all the way from Germany.

My haul from my visit to Seoul. Note that some items (such as Caramello Koalas and Starburst Babies) were gifts from my folks

It's not going to have all of the comforts of home, but nowhere in Korean will. But if all you need to push you through the latest bout of 'I hate Korea' - you'll find it here in the form of some home-made hummus, an ice cold can of Dr. Pepper, or some Axe (Lynx for the Australians) deodorant to tide you over for the summer months.

 

Directions: If you're standing out the front of the Hamilton Hotel, you want to cross the road to the Quiznos side of the road and then turn left. After two blocks you turn down a side street on your right and you'll see a foreigner restaurant and the Foreign Food Market. There's also a good bar here by the name of Roofers (I think?) that my good friend Byron recommended. They don't accept credit cards though, so be sure to visit your bank or a convenience store to have a wad of cash in hand. Learn from my mistakes!

 

And now for something completely different...

In non Seoul news, I've recently been asked to feature my blog on the very useful Korea Bridge website. KoreaBridge is the reason I am back in Korea at this point, since I used their exhaustive jobs list to find my current gig. It's presented in a far easier to read way than Dave's ESL Cafe too. In addition to jobs and their blog highlights, there's also forums, photos, classifieds of all kinds, and plenty of information about Korean life from a foreigner perspective. It's one of the top two websites I visit for my Korean information - the other being the well known Waygook.org.
—

Got a burning question that you can't fit into one comment? Need to contact me for a travel tip? Feeling generous and want to donate $1,000,000 to my travel fund? Want me to visit your town and tell the world about it?

 

For all of the above reasons and many more, here are my contact details.

  • Skype: CWBush83
  • Twitter: CWBush
  • MSN: CWBush83 (at) hotmail.com
  • Email: CWBush83 (at) gmail.com

 

Digital Media in South Korea

Submitted by on

From:  The Singapore Management University's  Digital Media Across Asia wiki

For the latest version visit: 
https://wiki.smu.edu.sg/digitalmediaasia/Digital_Media_in_South_Korea

South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea, is located in East Asia, at the tip of the Korean peninsula. The capital city is Seoul, which is also its largest city. The country has predominantly mountainous terrain and houses a population of 48,754,657 people. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. Since the 1960s, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth and global integration to become a high-tech industrialized economy. It is currently the world's 13th largest economy (in terms of purchasing power parity). As the world's 8th largest exporter, its export production focuses on semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships and petrochemicals.



Contents

 [hide]

Anchor

Digital Literacy

Anchor

Internet

South Korea is one of the most connected nations in the world with high broadband penetration rates and a tech savvy population. She also has the world's fastest average Internet connection speed at 14.6 Mbps. The government is constantly looking to upgrading the network, there are plans to bump the connection of every household in South Korea to 1 gigabit per second by 2012.[4]

Anchor

General Statistics

Trends in Internet Usage Rate and Internet Users (%, thousand) Population aged 3 and over
Trends in Internet Usage Rate and Internet Users (%, thousand) Population aged 3 and over

According to the 2010 Survey on the Internet Usage done by Korea Communications Commission (KKC) and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA)[5],

No. of Internet users: 38 million 
Household internet penetration rate: 81.6% 
Internet usage rate of population aged 3 and up: 77.8%


There is an increasing trend in the number of Internet users over the years from 2000 to 2010. This is also true for the Internet usage rate. Government support in developing the infrastructure is the main reason for such a high penetration rate. South Korea has amongst the world's highest Internet usage and broadband penetration and is one of the leading countries for broadband subscribers in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. 


Anchor

Profile of Internet users in South Korea

The information is categorized into the following: Gender, Age, Occupation and Education Level.

Internet Usage Rate by Gender (%)
Internet Usage Rate by Gender (%)


Gender
There is an almost equal amount of chance that the average Internet user is a male or a female. Internet usage rates of men and women are 83.2% and 72.4% and the number of Internet users are 19,850 and 17,160k respectively.

Age

Internet Usage Rate by Age (%)
Internet Usage Rate by Age (%)

Below is a breakdown of Korean Internet users by age. The Internet usage rates of people 30 and below are almost at 100%, mirroring the findings shown above. As we go older, the usage rate decrease dropping to 87.3% for people in their 40s and even lower for the 50s and 60s at 55.2% and 33.8%. A majority of Internet users are in their 30s and 40s standing at 40.1%.   


Internet Usage Rate by Occupation (%)
Internet Usage Rate by Occupation (%)


Occupation
79.5% of workers in Korea use the Internet and the occupations are broken down into these as follows, professionals/managers, office workers, service/sales, production workers, students and housewives. 


Internet Usage Rate by Education Level (%)
Internet Usage Rate by Education Level (%)


Education Level 
We also found that college graduates are the heaviest users of Internet followed by high school graduates, middle school graduates and elementary and below.

Anchor

Internet usage patterns

Duration
Most internet users access the Internet at least once a day, spending an average of 14.7 hours weekly with almost half of this group (48.9%) spending more than 14 hours or more.


Locations
People mainly access the Internet from home, followed by at work.


Purposes

We also found that the Internet is mainly used for getting information or data followed by leisure activities. 


Anchor

How Korea's IT infrastructure will change in 2012

The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) announced its plans of investing $34 trillion Won including $32.8 trillion Won from the private sector in the country's IT infrastructure.[6] This plan aims to accommodate for future demand it expects from the broadcasting and communications services. The government foresees the investment will create more jobs and boost the economy. It is assumed that a cycle like the one shown will be created with investment from private sectors.

Mobile

Overview

With over 75% of the population with mobile phone services and companies like Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and SK Telecom surfacing as powerhouses in the global mobile industry, South Korea has become one of the hotbeds of innovation in mobile services.

South Korea has the fastest growing mobile penetration rates in the Asia-Pacific region. At SK Telecom, its current CDMA network is still technically considered a 2.5G network. However, in the beginning of 2002, the network was upgraded. With the new 3G network, SK Telecom supported sophisticated forms of multimedia services of up to 2.4 Mbps.

Within a year after the launch of its 3G services in 2001, about 7% of the mobile phone subscribers had registered. The average revenue per user (ARPU) was nearly three times higher than that of 2G (second generation) users.

With the introduction of CDMA 1x EV-DO, multimedia services such as video streaming have been added to the list of services provided by mobile operators in South Korea. This technology was used during the 2002 soccer World Cup. Other services provided are financial enabler services for payments to be made through the mobile terminal. Some examples of financial transactions through mobile terminals and mobile networks include shopping, auctioning, ticketing, advertising, customer care, and information management.[7]

Table shows some of the more favoured content accessed by users.
Table shows some of the more favoured content accessed by users.


Market Description

The total number of mobile subscribers (with or without Internet access) in South Korea ultimo 2002 was 32 million, which is equivalent to 70% of the population. This constitutes a tremendous increase since 1995 when the total number of subscribers was 1.6 million. There are two main mobile operators in South Korea, SK Telecom is the largest with Korea Telecom's KTF being the second largest operator. SK Telecom has about 53% of the market or about 17 million users.

Mobile operators in South Korea have provided a wide variety of services to users on the mobile Internet platform. Services that allow mobile users to subscribe and customize services to their liking and to access the Internet whenever they desire, have been introduced. These services are not only accessible through mobile terminals but also through other devices such as PDAs and PCs. [8] 

Source:KCC
Source:KCC

Smartphone market

The smartphone market exploded since the introduction of the Apple iPhone into the market from a mere 7.5 million units in 2008 to a staggering 16.5 million units in 2009; a 220% increase in just a year. Samsung is still leading the pack with its Android phone due to its aggressive marketing in Korea but the iPhone is fast catching up. Below are the 7 top issues happening in the Korean mobile market in 2011. [9]

  1. Smartphones soaring to the 20 million mark
  2. Predicted increase in tablet sales
  3. Mobile VoIP trending
  4. Beginning of Long Term Evolution era which is a major candidate for 4G technology
  5. Boost of support & usage for Mobile Cloud Computing
  6. Fast growing mobile ad market
  7. Spread of the use of Social Networking (SNS)

Digital Media Platforms

Overview

The South Korean online community use a multitude and array of digital tools and channels for their online activities. Notable mentions in the activities shown below are the use of Social Networking Sites (SNS) and online trade. Recent figures reveal that twitter users in Korea have exceeded 3 million and 67% of Korean CEOs believe that "SNS will change the way of communication", it is also the most used channel to communicate with employees and customers among Korean CEOs. [10] The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry also found out that 60% of people in their 20s have used social commerce. Below are some shortlisted examples of popular channels digitally connected South Koreans use.


Forms of digital influence in South Korea. Credits to: Ogilvy, 360 Digital Influence
Forms of digital influence in South Korea. Credits to: Ogilvy, 360 Digital Influence

Blogs

South Korea is home to one of the largest blogging communities in the world, second only to China.[11]

Popularity of blogging over different parts of the world, credits to:Global State of Social Media in 2011,Global Web Index
Popularity of blogging over different parts of the world, credits to:Global State of Social Media in 2011,Global Web Index

Blog Hosting Sites

Popular blog hosting sites include:
1. Naver Blogs
2. Daum blogs
3. Egloos
4. Blogin
5. Tistory
5. Textcube
6. Yahoo!Korea blog

Naver Blogs and Daum Blogs are the two most popular blog hosting sites in South Korea, both belongs to the larger Naver and Daum net giants respectively.


Popular Blogs to Follow
Fashion Blogs - Streetfsn

Street fashion blog - Streetfsn
Street fashion blog - Streetfsn

Microblogging
Increasing popularity of tweeting in South Korea, credits to: Daumsoft
Increasing popularity of tweeting in South Korea, credits to: Daumsoft
1. Twitter - Twitter has had a phenomenal impact in South Korea with users having an active user rate two times higher than the world average.[12] Twitter subscriber growth increased tenfold in 2010 while the number of tweets have also increased significantly. This was largely due to the advent of smart phones and handheld computers.

Similar to the global use of Twitter, South Korean tweets focus largely on celebrities, entertainment and politics. Along with the many Korean celebrities who have large followings on their Twitter pages, there are a number of politicians, corporations and government offices that use Twitter in combination with other social networking sites to better communicate with their constituents, consumers and the public. As of January 19, 2011, Twitter has expanded to offer a Korean language service, making Korean the seventh language available for support on Twitter.

2. me2DAY - Owned by Naver. Popularly dubbed as the "Twitter of South Korea", me2DAY is popular among South Korean celebrities including 
G-Dragon from Big Bang and Sandara Park from 2NE1.[13]
The different brands of microblogs in South Korea
The different brands of microblogs in South Korea
3. Nate Connect - Owned by Nate. Connect focuses on communication between people users are already acquainted with. Connect consolidates existing buddy list contacts from NateOn messenger, an instant messaging service, and contacts database from Cyworld to enable communication. According to SK Communications, blog platforms other than Cyworld will be made compatible for use with Connect. [14]
4. Yozm - Owned by Daum. Allows users with similar tastes and lifestyles to socialize through entering personal information under different stated categories. [15]
5. sfoon - Owned by Nurien. Connects Twitter, me2DAY, Flickr, Youtube accounts into one viewing convenience.
6. itgling - Owned by Mediare. Allows users to socialize with others who share similar web surfing/usage patterns rather than choosing to follow friends.

Social Networking Sites

Overview
South Koreans tend not to actively make friends with strangers offline; however they do online. Hence, the average use of online social networking services by South Koreans is much more frequent than the average user in the world.
Many of the South Korean social networking sites overlap from being a micro-blog to a homepage; therefore, previously discussed micro-blog sites such as me2DAY, Yozm and Nate Connect serve as social networking sites in South Korea as well. Local sites include Cyworld, Connect, me2DAY, Yozm while global sites include Facebook and Twitter.

    Cyworld

Cyworld is South Korea's leading social networking community with 25 million members since its inception in 1999. Cyworld is owned by Nate and operated by SK Communications, a subsidiary of SK Telecom. It functions as a hybrid between a blog and a personal homepage, and the subscribers' personal home pages is referred to as 'minihompy'. Cyworld users are very diverse and range anywhere from elementary students to middle-aged adults. Although its primary prevalence is found in South Korea, its influence has spread over China and Japan in recent years.

    Facebook

Within South Korea, Facebook's prominence lags behind Cyworld with only slightly more than 4 million users. The Facebook penetration of the South Korean online population lies at 10.17%. Compared with Facebook's other international offices, South Korea is one of the fewer countries where other local social networking sites dominate. However, Facebook usage in South Korea is growing tremendously with 44% of its users within the 25-34 age range and 32% within the 18-24 age range. [16] 


Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) / Forums

1. Daum Agora

A popular web portal in South Korea. Includes a popular free web-based e-mail, messaging service, forums, shopping and news. The popularity of Daum stems from the range of services it offers, but also from the fact that it was the first South Korean web portal of significant size. Its popularity started when it merged with the then most popular e-mail service, Daum.net or Hanmail.net. After the merge, Daum started the forum service, DaumCafe, which brought its firm status in the market. The term cafe and even Internet cafe (Different from what is supposed to refer to in Western usage) is now used as the synonym for "Internet forum" in Korean.

2. DC Inside

DC Inside is frequently noted under the initiali, DC, and it functions as an Internet forum. Initially established as a community dedicated to digital cameras and photography, it has now met broad notoriety in South Korea due to its unique nature.

Instant Messaging

Overview

The different messenger services of South Korea
The different messenger services of South Korea

South Koreans use an array of instant messaging tools such as NateOn, KakaoTalk, Buddybuddy and MSN Messenger.



NateOn is an instant messaging client provided by Nate. In 2005, NateOn overtook MSN Messenger in the number of South Korean users. Today, NateOn is the most widely used online messenger program in South Korea.
v Kakao Talk is a mobile messenger that works on Apple's iPhone and Android-based smartphones. It allows users anywhere in the world to chat one-to-one or in a group for free. Message arrivals are instantly notified with Push Alert and users can send various multimedia such as pictures, videos, and contact telephone numbers as well. After its launch in March 2010, it has seen downloads by up to 6.6 million smart phone users out of the full 7.8 million smart phone user population, [17] with a total of 8 million users worldwide. [18]

Video-Sharing Websites

The different video-sharing websites used in Korea
The different video-sharing websites used in Korea
    Youtube - The South Korean population uses mainly the Youtube, a video-sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos. [19]
    Naver Video- There are other alternative channels that South Koreans use as well such as Naver video which belongs to Naver.[20]

Anchor

Search Engines

Market shares of net giants in South Korea, credits to: Search Engine Watch
Market shares of net giants in South Korea, credits to: Search Engine Watch

Overview
The four largest Korean-language search engine portals in South Korea are:
1. Naver
2. Daum
3. Nate
4. Yahoo!Korea

As of 2010, Naver had a 62% share of all searches from within South Korea. Daum, another South Korean search portal, comes in second with a 21% share, followed by Nate at 10% and Yahoo's Korean-language service with 3%.[21] 

    NHNCorp (an Internet content service provider and online games operator head-quartered) in South Korea. Naver functions similarly to Google and Yahoo with information search in all areas such as music, video, book, mobile and multimedia. [22]

    Analytics

    The three largest local web analytics vendors in South Korea belong to[23]: 


    AGB Nielsen Media Research is another local vendor that offers the combined service of TAM (Television Audience Measurement), AIS (Advertising Information Service), print readership and ad-hoc media related research.[24]

    Webtrends, an American company founded in Oregon in 1993, has currently expanded its services to South Korea. It offers services such as social media measurement, paid-search optimization and connecting the online and offline data silos scattered throughout organizations. However, it is still smaller as compared to the other local vendors in South Korea.[25]

    Others

      [26]

      Location-based services (LBS) allows retailers to market to smartphone users based on their location. With this technology, companies can offer customized information and even sales or discounts to a particular user.

      According to a study by EI Marketing Research Corp., the South Korea LBS market is estimated to have a total spend of $348 million in 2013. [27]

      Ticket Monster, credits here
      Ticket Monster, creditshere
        Ticket Monster, which was established in May of 2009. More than 55,000 members have joined the site, which attracts 300,000 visitors per day.[28]
          SK Telecom, are particularly interested in augmented reality technology, which involves enhancing real-world images with computer-generated ones.
            E-Mart, for example, includes QR codes in its advertisements so consumers can quickly pull up information on various products via their smartphones.

            E-commerce is majorly popular in South Korea and according to a study of visitor traffic by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, user traffic for mobile phone-related shopping malls increased by 192.3 percent between July and October compared 2010 compared to in 2009. In terms of traffic volume, "comprehensive" online malls that sold a wide range of products such as GMarket and Auction and the online arms of brick-and-mortar retailers such as Lotte and Shinsegae Mall, were found to host the largest share with an average of 21.85 million visitors per month.[29]

            Honey, it's me! smartphone application. Credits here
            Honey, it's me! smartphone application. Credits here

              There's now a current rise of smartphone applications that draws on the use of artificial intelligence. The most recent is the use of a virtual girlfriend in an application called 'Honey, it's me!' where the app calls the smartphone owner three to four times a day and treats him to a video conversation with his virtual girlfriend, a female character named Mina.[30]

              Anchor

              Traditional Media Platforms

              In this section, we included brief descriptions of Broadcasting and Cable Television, the television audience, publishing, radio, regulators of these channels as well as the advertising industry in South Korea. 

              Anchor

              Broadcasting & Cable TV


              According to BBC, TV is influential and the major terrestrial networks, including market leaders Korea Broadcasting System (KBS) and Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), command the lion's share of viewing and advertising. Most South Koreans subscribe to digital cable and satellite.

              Network TV news broadcasts are nationalist in outlook, friendlier to North Korea and more critical of Japan and the U.S. than the big newspapers.

              South Korean TV soaps are popular across the region, including in China. They are part of the "Korean Wave" - the export of South Korean popular culture across Asia.

              The government has stepped up pressure on TV channels that are seen as over-critical, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) noted in 2010. Nevertheless, South Korea is one of the few Asian nations where there is real news pluralism, it added.

              The country is a pioneer of TV via mobile devices and the Internet (IPTV). The government has "put in place the means to scrutinise online news", says RSF. Scores of web users, including a well-known blogger, have been arrested following complaints from the government or by individuals.

              Information from The Museum of Broadcast Communications suggests the following:

              Anchor

              The Korean Television Audience

              Reasons for watching television[31]:

              1. To get information
              2. To understand other opinions and ways of life
              3. To get education and knowledge
              4. To relax

                5. Average television sets owned by each household: 1.6
                Average time spent on television: 3 hours (weekdays), 5 hours (weekends) 
                Most popular time slot: 9:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M. 
                Highest rated program: 9:00 P.M. evening news
                A poll conducted by KBS shows men watch more television than women. On weekends there were no differences in television viewing among age groups. The evening news is watched by 70% of adult audiences in Korea. 

                Below is the breakdown on the preferences of television audience with regards to show categories:
                Image:South_Korea_television_audience_preference.png


                Television (in order of significance):[32]

                Image:Korea_Broadcasting_System_(KBS)_logo.gif Korea Broadcasting System (KBS)
                Public, operates two networks; web pages in English
                Image:Munhwa_Broadcasting_Company.png Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)
                Public, operates two networks; web pages in English
                Image:Seoul_Broadcasting_System_(SBS)_logo.png Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS)
                Private
                Image:Education_Broadcasting_System_(EBS)_logo.png Education Broadcasting System (EBS)
                Public, educational programmes
                Image:Inchon_Television_(iTV)_logo.png Inchon Television (iTV)]
                Private, Inchon-based
                Image:Jeonju_Television_Corporation_(JTV)_logo.gif Jeonju Television Corporation (JTV)
                Commercial, Jeonju-based
                Image:American_Forces_Network_(AFN)_Korea_logo.jpeg American Forces Network (AFN) Korea
                TV for US military, also watched by many Koreans
                Image:Skylife_logo.gif SkyLife
                Digital satellite TV operator

                Anchor

                Publishing


                Newspaper readership is high and there are more than 100 national and local dailies. The press is often critical of the government. Many newspapers are controlled by industrial conglomerates. In Korea, like many other countries, newspaper subscribers are decreasing.

                The three newspapers with the widest circulations -- which together account for about 70% of readership -- are privately owned. The papers are conservative in outlook with stories that take a hard line on North Korea and advocate strong ties with Japan and the U.S.[33]

                The press (in order of significance):[34]

                Image:Chosun_Ilbo_logo.png Chosun Ilbo
                English Language Pages
                Image:Dong-a_Ilbo_logo.gif Dong-a Ilbo
                English Language Pages
                Image:Korea_Times_logo.png Korea Times
                English-language pages
                Image:Hangyore_Sinmun_logo.gif Hangyore Sinmun
                English-language pages
                Image:JoongAng_Ilbo_logo.jpeg JoongAng Ilbo
                English-language pages
                Image:Hankook_Ilbo_logo.gif Hankook Ilbo
                Daily
                Image:Korea_Daily_News_logo.gif Korea Daily News
                Image:Korea_Economic_Daily_logo.gif Korea Economic Daily
                Image:Korea_Herald_logo.png Korea Herald
                English-language
                Image:Munhwa_Ilbo_logo.png Munhwa Ilbo
                Daily

                News agency:

                Image:Yonhap_News_Agency_logo.gif Yonhap News Agency
                English-language pages

                Magazine News Media:

                Image:The_Economist_logo.gif Economist

                Radio

                Radio broadcasts in South Korea are mainly done in the Korean language with few English stations available on both AM and FM channels.


                Radio stations:

                Image:Korea_Broadcasting_System_(KBS)_logo.gif Korea Broadcasting System (KBS)
                Public, operates six networks
                Image:KBS_World_Radio_logo.gif KBS World Radio
                External broadcaster, operated by KBS
                Image:Munhwa_Broadcasting_Company.png Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)
                Public, operates MBC Radio and music-based MBC FM
                Image:Seoul_Broadcasting_System_logo.png Seoul Broadcasting System
                Operates SBS-FM
                Image:Christian_Broadcasting_System_(CBS)_logo.jpeg Christian Broadcasting System (CBS) 
                Christian network
                -- Buddhist Broadcasting System (BBS)
                A Buddhist network and Far East Broadcasting Corporation (FEBC) also has religious content
                Image:Far_East_Broadcasting_Corporation_(FEBC)_logo.gif Far East Broadcasting Corporation (FEBC) 
                Religious
                Image:American_Forces_Network_(AFN)_Korea_logo.jpeg American Forces Network (AFN) Korea
                Radio for US military
                Image:Tbs_eFM_logo.jpeg tbs eFM
                Seoul, English-language

                Regulators

                Image:Korean_Cable_TV_Association_(KCTA)_logo.png Korea Communications Commission (KCC)


                Advertising


                In 2010, South Korea's media industry had a strong year in advertising spending, according to an annual survey by the nation's biggest ad agency, Cheil Worldwide. There was an increase of spending across all media, with traditional print and broadcast having the least gains. [35]

                There is a jump of 16.5% to 8.45 trillion won last year, or about $7.5 billion. Advertising spending dropped 6.9% in 2009 due to cutbacks in marketing that businesses made in the wake of the 2008 global economic crisis. Ad spending in 2010 was 8.4% higher than it was in 2008.

                However, ad spending on newspapers and radio in 2010 was still below 2008. Ad spending on magazines and broadcast TV was barely above 2008 levels, even with the help of the Winter Olympics and World Cup, events that are a magnet for advertisers trying to reach mass audiences.

                South Korea's media industry accounts for less than 1% of the nation's GDP, well below the size of media industries in other developed countries. That's due in large part to government control of advertising rates and purchases, which are funneled through two agencies that have been around since the days of military dictatorship in the 1980s. Looking ahead to 2011, Cheil said ad spending could increase if the government follows through on promises to ease some of its regulations on the industry.

                Image:South_Korea_Ad_Spending_2008_2009_2010.png


                For more information on the latest South korea news feeds by categories, please see World News Report-South Korea

                Impacts of Digital Media

                Business

                Digital Marketing

                Integrated Digital Platforms
                Increasingly, major South Korean companies such as Samsung, LG Electronics and Hyundai have begun to set up an integrated platform featuring their CEO blogs, corporate blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts in an attempt to communicate more personally with their customers[36] and espouse an image of being open and transparent.[37]

                Cheil Worldwide - President and CEO, Nack Hoi Kim
                Cheil Worldwide - President and CEO, Nack Hoi Kim


                1. CEO Personal Blogs

                Cheil Worldwide is global marketing and communications company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is the largest advertising agency in South Korea and manages international Korean brands such as Samsung Electronics. On this blog, Mr Kim shares his insights about the communications industry and uses it as a tool to communicate with his employees.

                Right after Dreamwiz merged with blog servicing company, Intizen, Mr Lee set up his own blog to find out what bloggers really want from the blog service. Along with his personal views about the company's new projects and businesses, he also provides reviews on gadgets on his blog. His blog is very popular among the power bloggers in South Korea. 

                2. Corporate Blogs
                The way South Korean organizations use corporate blogging is affected by the nation's culture. South Koreans have larger power-distance index and a stronger uncertainty avoidance index compared to countries such as the USA. Therefore, most South Korean companies adopt a top-down corporate blogging strategy when it comes to the promotion of their corporate blogs, with message control as the rule of conduct. However, Korean corporate blogs are highly interactive offering rich multi-media functions such as music, avatars, flash and video. Furthermore, Korean corporate blogs frequently engage netizens and consumers in events such as competitions for user generated content prior to product launches. [38]

                Converse UCC campaign in South Korea
                Converse UCC campaign in South Korea

                Advertising on social networking services is poised to hit the big time in South Korea, with South Koreans fast recognizing the potential of its so-called "one-man ads". An ideal time, then, for the appearance of a new, streamlined ad service called AdbyMe, which promises to make it easier for Korean firms (or anyone else) to create and distribute ads via social networking services - primarily Facebook, Twitter and me2DAY. [39]

                Leveraging on User Created Content (UCC) 
                Many companies and even the public sector currently make use of UCC or consumer generated media (CGM) in competitions to promote their products, brands and campaigns. In 2007, Converse Korea, reached out to netizens to create a promotional video featuring Converse sneakers. The winning UCC was then run on air on M-net, a popular music channel in Korea. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism also held a UCC event where participants were required to create a video which features tourism resources in Korea to promote tourism to foreigners outside of Korea. 

                Search Engine Optimization

                InterAd.com, Inc. provides a engine optimisation (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) service that aims to improve companies' online business presence in major search engines. InterAd.com's clients include Yahoo! Korea, Samsung SDS, KOTRA, the Official websites run by Korean Government, and hundreds of other small & medium companies. The company has been certified with Google Advertising Professional, Yahoo! SEO and Microsoft MSVP.

                They offer services such as:

                  Society

                  Privacy Concerns

                  1. Social Networking Sites

                  A study done by the Korea Information and Security Agency highlighted the dangers of overexposure to social networking sites with the personal information of users being vulnerable to strangers, advertisers and marketers. [40]

                  65.7% of South Korean Internet users use social networking sites. A poll by Microsoft found that 63% of Koreans use more than three different social networking sites. [41]

                  In South Korea, Kakao Talk, a popular mobile message service that works on Apple's iPhone and Android-based smart phones, relaxed its privacy policy without notifying subscribers in October, causing a public uproar. It seems even more pertinent for South Korea given that their social networking service usage rate is higher than the world's average, exposing them to even more threats of privacy intrusion. [42]

                  Tracking features of Oppa Midji? Credits to:Footman's Frothings
                  Tracking features of Oppa Midji? Credits to:Footman's Frothings
                  2. Location-based Applications

                  The application Oppa Midji? ("You trust oppa, right?") allows users to keep track of their boyfriends or girlfriends' locations via their smart phones. For the first two days of its operation, there was no safeguard against users to have their locational details to anyone else who had downloaded the application. The newer version of Oppa Midji now requires both parties to give their express permission. [43]

                  Government

                  Two major watershed events in modern day South Korean politics influenced by digital media could be seen in the 2008 Chotbul protest and the "Rohsamo" presidential campaign of 2002.

                  In the 2008 Chotbul protest in South Korea, it showed how real-time online and off-line interaction through the Internet and the mobile phone led to the participants' online actions which proliferated against a background of the failure of representative system of politics and media.[44]

                  US beef imports protests in South Korea. Credits to: BBC in pictures
                  US beef imports protests in South Korea. Credits to:BBC in pictures


                  US Beef imports protest
                  On May 2 2008, more than 20,000 people gathered at Cheonggye plaza in Seoul and held a Chotbul cultural festival to protest against the negotiation of U.S. beef imports tainted by mad cow disease. The protest even called for the impeachment of President Lee Myung-bak who took office less than 3 months earlier. Chotbul protest consisted of real-time connections and interactions between online and protest sites mediated by debate bulletin boards, chatting rooms, sms messages, and especially live streamings.

                  The Chotbul protest against U.S. beef imports started with netizens' self-mobilization and voluntary participation. However, it gradually extended to movements opposing the liberalization of public education, the cross-country canal project, the privatization of the public sectors and conservative media. The protest was marked by people's creative use of Information Communication Technology(ICT) and media.[45]

                  Presidential Election 2002
                  Roh Moo-hyun's dramatic victory on December 19, 2002 was enabled by the Internet. The Internet made available alternative sources of political information unfiltered by the conservative and often biased mass media. Rohsamo, a group of people who supported Roh Moo-hyun became the focal organizing structure around which the efforts of individual supporters were coordinated. Roh's election would have been impossible had it not been for the nationwide broadband infrastructure and low costs for household high-speed Internet access.[46]

                  Anchor

                  Economy

                  South Korea ranked #1 in the Global Innovation Index for large countries by the Boston Consulting Group, National Association of Manufacturers and The Manufacturing Institute. [47]

                  South Korea's economy relies heavily on international trade and its IT-related products account for almost one third of its total exports.In particular, the mobile telecommunication sector is a strategic trade commodity for South Korea to maintain its global market leadership for mobile telephony services and cell phone production.In a five year period from 2004 to 2008, the ETRI earned more than 254.8 billion South Korean won in technology royalties with a total of 1,294 cases of technology transfer.


                  The South Korean government allocates adequate resources towards the development of broadband,mobile and wireless technologies. In fact, the birthplace to several of Korea's technologies originated at the non-profit government-funded Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute(ETRI). Its objective is to develop basic and core technologies which subsequently sought to feed into new products by private companies.The South Korean government funds the ETRI – with budgets amounting to hundreds of million US dollar annually to focus on intensive IT research.

                  Anchor

                  Environment

                    People from Seoul and other crowded South Korean cities are already seen applying for apartments and the planners are counting on enticing attractive businesses.

                    Mr. Kim, Vice President for strategy at New Songdo City Development stated that the project is a profit-generating model unlike other U-city projects. Songdo U-Life would charge building owners for facilities management and serve as a gateway to services. Its partners will test market services that require wireless data access everywhere or a common ID system without having to build anything themselves.[48]

                    Digital Media City Landmark Tower

                    Digital Media City Landmark Tower Credits to: World Architecture News
                    Digital Media City Landmark Tower Credits to: World Architecture News

                    In addition, a digital media landmark tower is set to be build at the north of the Han River, Seoul. It have a stack effect and wind turbines located at the top of the building. There are high efficiency solar photovoltaic panels that maximize solar energy and provide additional shade where needed most, thus, reducing internal cooling loads. Radiant cooling through chilled beams, radiant floor heating and drawn tempered air through green atriums adds further efficiency. There are atrium gardens and open air green spaces throughout the building that act as natural air filters for the building's inhabitants.[49]

                    Anchor

                    Regulations

                      Regulating Social Networking Services

                        [50]

                        While regulations vary among local portal operators, no current legal system has yet been established to handle the issue, even in the world's most wired country. Critics and ordinary citizens alike have called for a social consensus on dispersing these "digital assets" after death with the image on the right showing their preferred choices.


                        Legislation for Data Protection


                        Due to South Korea's high distribution rate for Internet broadband networks, the chances of data breach is exceptionally high. The government is now reviewing a revised version of the Data Protection Act which seeks to regulate data protection in both the public and private sector.

                        Currently, the supervisory watchdog for data protection is under two governmental departments: the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs for the public sector, and the Ministry of Information and Communication for the private sector.

                        On another note, South Korea's private sector law is one of the strictest set of requirements in the Asia-Pacific region. Businesses can only use personal information collected for the purposes stated at the time of collection. Where this is breached, the victim may seek pecuniary compensation. In one case, one female patient underwent a plastic surgery operation and the clinic posted the movie of the patient's operation on its Web site without her consent, and so was ordered to pay 4 million won in reparations. [51]


                        Anchor

                        Controversies

                        Vague state of Internet regulation with regards to online defamation

                        There is a lack of regulations to counter widespread cyber defamation and online harassment in South Korea. It is a serious problem in South Korea with the police reporting 10,028 cases of online libel in 2007, up from 3,667 reported in 2004.[52]

                        The death of popular movie star, Choi Jin-sil in 2008 from a suicide attempt sparked public outcry over the spread of malicious rumors on the Internet that police said eventually caused her untimely death.

                        The Internet has always been a part of most Koreans' lives; it is the most wired country in the world. The Internet has not always been abused; it played a major role in the election of President Lee Myung Bak. But South Koreans have always been vocal online, especially so against the government. For example, the US beef imports incident where vicious antigovernment postings and online rumors caused a political upheaval and led to the resignation of the entire cabinet.

                        The government tried its hand at reining in the wild horse. In 2008, President Lee started a month long crackdown on online defamation, identifying and arresting those who habitually post slander or instigate cyber bullying. In 2007, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) ordered web portals with more than 300,000 visitors a day to require mandatory registration of their real names and matching social security numbers in an effort to remove the cloak of Internet anonymity. Major portals like Naver and Daum complied. The government also introduced the Cyber Defamation Bill to punish those who insult others online with up to 3 years in jail or a $30 million Won fine but it has languished since critics questioned whether it would stifle freedom of speech. The state of online regulation has been in limbo ever since.


                        However, the issue of cyber bullying has not been swept under the covers. Shocked by the rising cases of suicide resulting from online defamation, a professor of intercultural education at Konkuk University, Min Byoung-chul started the 'Sunfull Movement' in 2007. Min says the movement's vision is to create a warmhearted cyber community full of sunshine. This vision is reflected in the movement's name, Sunfull, which derives from an abbreviation of a phrase meaning good comments. He has encouraged schools to create Sunfull pages on their websites where students can post positive comments. He is convinced of the educational effect of writing positive comments ― it can change a student's thinking and behavior. As evidence, he cites a recent survey: While 35 percent of the students in Korea on average have the experience of posting malicious comments, the percentage drops to a mere 3 percent among students who participate in the Sunfull Movement. Thanks to Min's personal efforts, the number of schools and students participating in his campaign has steadily increased. In 2010, the number of positive comments posted on the movement's official website topped 1 million.[53]



                        The NCSI Phenomenon - A boon and a bane


                        NCSI (Netizen Crime Scene Investigations) represent an increasing group of South Korean netizens who do research and investigations using "evidence" they pull from the Web that include real, personal information of people.

                        The biggest organized NCSI group is now DC Inside, an Internet portal with more than 1,000 bulletin boards. Among the boards, Comedy Gallery is where the majority of NCSIs spend their time. The Comedy Gallery is where netizens congregate to put their resources together to uncover the real identities of ordinary people who find themselves in the middle of controversy. [54]

                        While it can be argued that DC Inside has contributed to public safety and raising awareness, the anonymous netizens have come under heavy fire for libel. While sometimes their online sleuthing turns up crucial clues that help in official investigations. But all too often their actions ruin and traumatise lives and have driven victims to suicide.

                        A infamous example of an online attack belonged to the case of the "dog poop girl." In 2005, a photo of a girl who left the subway train without picking up her dog's waste was spread on the Internet. Korean netizens revealed her identity as well as her school, and she ended up dropping out in disgrace.

                        Anchor

                        Recommendations

                        Anchor

                        Top 5 Strategies for Individuals

                        1. Get connected via your smartphone

                        Examples of smart commerce. Credits here
                        Examples of smart commerce. Credits here

                        On-the-go shopping applications, popularly referred to as 'smart commerce', has skyrocketed since the introduction of the iPhone late 2009.[55]Capitalize on discounts, mobile payment, price comparison services, tracking and location-based services - in short, the convenience and benefits you can get with being and staying connected.

                        2. Embrace global trends


                        South Koreans are very receptive to foreign trends and services; the increasing popularity of Facebook and Twitter are two major examples. The next digital trend in the world might just well indicate the next trend for South Korea.

                        3. Stay social


                        The immense popularity of social networking services (SNS) in South Korea has begun to shade even more traditional forms of online communication such as emailing.[56] The large amount of time users invest online in SNS insinuate the large amount of information and networks available in these online communities. 


                        Staying social would offer you the chance to gain access into these information and networks. 




                        4. Don't believe everything you see


                        Although South Koreans do place a lot of trust in Internet content[57], it is always better to practise some caution when it comes to online content, especially so for Twitter.

                        According to Professor Han Sang-gi, at KAIST's graduate school of arts and culture, due to the indiscriminate nature of tweeting in Korea (50 percent of retweets take place within just 30 minutes compared with 50 percent in 60 minutes overseas), there exists floods of false or unverifiable claims on Twitter.[58]

                        5. Exercise discretion in revealing personal information


                        The rising popularity of social networking services within South Korea makes the risk for privacy intrusion and information overexposure even greater. The leak of personal information makes users more vulnerable to target advertising and cyber bullying or defamation


                        The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) advises users to set security and privacy settings on networks to the appropriate level; to agree to be connected with people only when you are certain who they are; and logging out when you're not using the service.[59] It also warned users about publishing personal information that may be used by advertisers and marketers for targeted advertising. It reminded users that once they upload postings, they can be widely distributed through other Web sites without the user's knowledge. The regulations can be viewed on the private information protection Web site, www.i-privacy.kr.[60]

                        Anchor

                        Top 5 Strategies for Corporations

                        Koreans are fortunate to benefit from the fastest broadband infrastructure in the world, catching upon the latest sporting highlights or gaming with friends is almost as simple as updating your social networking profile or sending an email on your smartphone.

                        Local internet companies have been providing users with a slew of innovative services such as top local portal search engine naver's highly successful knowledge in Q&A service provided the inspiration for yahoo! answers.While both Naver and rival Daum have launched real time social media search services.

                         Top korean companies including a good house name chaebol such as LG is leading the social media charge in asia.

                        [61]

                        1. Monitor continuously

                        Be sure you are tracking top influencers,forums and other online channels in order to identify potential issues early and proactively enter into relevant in conversations.Discussions online do not conveniently occur during work hours. They can happen anytime on any channel topic.

                        2. Clarify objectives 


                        Many organizations enter into the world of social media without a clear idea of what they are looking to achieve and using basic metrics and tools to evaluate their performance. Having a clear set of objectives will make the programme more effective easier to sell and simpler to evaluate.

                        3. Get management buy-in 


                        Encourage senior management to be aware of and optimally participate in social media in order to foster appropriate participation by employees on behalf of the company. Setting a postivive example is the best method of social media leadership.

                        4. Contribution to the community 


                        Be sure that your company's particpation in social media is relevant and genuinely helping and adding value to your audiences.This is as opposed to always providing content that is marketing or promotional in nature. As with human relationships, people respond to companies that listen, responsive and approachable.

                        5. Participate in good and bad times 


                        There will always be situations in which it is best to avoid participating in online conversations but generally speaking, negative content provides an opportunity for an organization to share its point of view or set the record straight. Avoiding negative issues can also make you appear uncaring and perhaps with something hide.

                        Korean companies are keen to be seen as innovative. They have a tendency to view social networks and other social channels as marketing tools to reach out to customers rather than public relatins platforms that can benefit or damage an organisations' longer term reputation. The korean blogosphere has a volatile nature as the koreans have a culture of making contributions and willingess to discuss issues actively.

                        Today, microblogs are a preferred social media option because of its increasing popularity,easy to use,open and trustworthy for the user, korean companies figure it is a good way to communicate direct to local and international stakeholders at little cost.

                        Social networks are proving popular. Korean companies are using facebook and twitter to draw attention to the latest corporate news and to provide a better service more finely attuned to the evolving needs of journalists,bloggers,analysts and other influencers.

                        Korean companies have yet to start using video in any considerable way to illustrate their activities. In this area,pr departments have yet to learn the storytelling skills of the marketing activities.

                        [62]

                        Anchor

                        Top 5 Up & Coming Digital Media tools

                        In a nutshell, smartphones are the underlying reason boosting the rise in popularity of the media tools. The tools are ranked in popularity in Korea, with Viber on top followed by twitter (left), skype (right), picplz (below twitter), instagram (below skype) and the groupon logo is at the bottom due to the recency of its entry into the market. Credits to Viber, twitter, skype, picplz, instagram and groupon for their logos and iphone2pics.infofor the iPhone photo
                        In a nutshell, smartphones are the underlying reason boosting the rise in popularity of the media tools. The tools are ranked in popularity in Korea, with Viber on top followed by twitter (left), skype (right), picplz (below twitter), instagram (below skype) and the groupon logo is at the bottom due to the recency of its entry into the market. Credits to Viber, twitter, skype, picplz, instagram and groupon for their logos and iphone2pics.infofor the iPhone photo

                        1. Mobile VoIP (Voice over IP)


                        Two examples of Mobile VoIP are Skype and Viber. It allows users to communicate via voice on their mobile phones if they have a high speed internet connection like broadband or Wi-Fi[63]. Keeping in mind that South Korea enjoys the highest internet speed in the world and has an increasing amount of smartphone users, it is only a matter of time that this technology becomes widely utilized. Currently, LG Uplus, the smallest mobile carrier in Korea has allowed mobile VoIP to differentiate itself from its competitors. SK Telecom and KT are following by allowing partial access[64] . 

                        2. Augmented Reality Technology 


                        It enhances people's perception of reality through the use of computer technology. This technology is possible with the use of smartphones and marketers in South Korea are increasingly using this, blurring the lines between what is real and what is not. Some examples are Avatar, the movie where it seemed as if the viewers were exploring the world of Pandora with the story's protagonists. Closer to home in South Korea, Bean Pole, a domestic clothing brand, used the technology to show its models, members of K-pop group 2NE1, sporting its latest clothes on 3-D screens in its shops[65]. Watch the video here.

                        3. Spread of Social Networking Service (SNS


                        Social Networking is the 'in' word of the season. The amount of people on it is incredible. According to comScore, the amount of Koreans using SNS is a staggering 25 million in 2010[66]. Imagine the power of that group of audience if your company manages to engage them. Some popular sites Koreans like include Naver, the 'Google' of Korea, Youtube of which 20% of its traffic is accounted for by smartphones[67], Cyworld for social networking and of course, Twitter, which is gaining in popularity.


                        4. E-commerce


                        This is another industry propelled by the increased usage in smartphones. 44% of the entire Korean population visit online malls at least once a month. This group is led by people in their 30s, followed by the 40s and finally, the 20s. "Comprehensive" online malls that sell numerous products like GMarket and Auction and the online arms of Lotte.com and Shinsegae Mall were found to host the largest share with an average of 21.85 million visitors per month[68]. The industry is expected to heat up with Groupon, the largest social commerce company entering the South Korean market[69].

                        5. Photo sharing services


                        Even though, according to comScore, only 17.1% of Koreans used photo sharing sites, new mobile photo SNS, such as Instagram and PicPlz are appearing in the market[70]. Perhaps these companies will replicate their success overseas in this unique market[71]. Korean SNS 'Finglr', provides real-time photo sharing service. Finglr also allow users to tag and share location information.[72]

                        Anchor

                        Hear from the Experts

                        Anchor

                        Video interview

                        Carl Kwan's blog
                        Carl Kwan's blog

                        1. Mr Carl Kwan

                        Carl is an online marketing consultant and a public speaking and presentations specialist with over 8 years of working experience with C-level executives and professionals. He has been very kind to share his thoughts about digital media in Korea and has recently set up a new social media website: Social Media Consulting Expert which helps businesses in Korea with social media marketing and branding.

                        View/download his interview here: Mr Carl Kwan Interview.

Anchor

                        Email interviews

                        Niels Footman's Twitter Page
                        Niels Footman's Twitter Page

                        2. Mr Niels Footman

                        PR professional in consumer electronics in Seoul and writer of Footman's Frothings - a blog dedicated to social media and technology within South Korea; occasionally contributes to Seoul Space - a blog dedicated to innovations, start-ups, trends and events related to technology, internet, and all things digital within Korea.

                        View/download his interview here: Mr Niels Footman‎ Interview

                        James F Larson's Home Page
                        James F Larson's Home Page

                        3. Mr James F Larson


                        James F Larson, the author of "The Telecommunications Revolution in Korea" took some time off his busy schedule to share with us some insights on his views about Korea Digital Development. His upcoming book Digital Development in Korea: Building an Information Society will soon be released! James F Larson's Homepage

                        View/download his interview here: Mr James F Larson‎ Interview 

                      4. Professor Jinwoo Kim

                        Professor Kim has a Ph. D. in Human Computer Interaction and M.S. in Human Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. He is a noted expert on the field of new media and its applications by corporations such as Samsung and SK Telecom. We are thankful for the insights that he has shared with us regarding digital media in South Korea.

                        View/download his interview here: Professor Jinwoo Kim‎ Interview

                        4. Mr Choi

                        Ex-president of NHN Corp.,an Internet content service operator headquartered in Seongnam, Korea and established in 1998. Its flagship product is the Naverportal, which is one of the most popular Internet portals and search engines in South Korea.

                        View/download his interview here: Mr Choi‎ Interview

                        5. Mr Park Sang Hwan

                        CEO of HANATOUR Service Inc., the biggest travel agent in Korea; is well-known for being the industry leader to adopt new technology in marketing its online presence for the travel business.

                        View/download his interview here: Mr Park Sang Hwan‎ Interview

                        6. Mr Kim Chang-Won'

                        Co-CEO of Korea's leading blog software company, TNC, now owned by Google[73]; visit his personal blog, Web 2.0 Asia.

                        View/download his interview here: Mr Kim Chang-Won Interview

                        Anchor

                        Podcasts

                        Interview with Dr. Gi Hong Yi

                        This is an interview with Dr Gi Hong Yi, a Korean sociologist trained in the USA. He is interested in economic sociology, statistics, social network analysis, mobile computing and futurology. In this segment, he would be sharing with us on the digital media landscape in South Korea. He is currently a sociology professor at Hallym University since 2003 and also a visiting scholar to Stanford University.

                        Listen Here!

                        Summary for inside digital media

                        With the rising Songdo City, South Korea intends to connect every home in the country to the Internet at one gigabit per second at the end of 2012. Download or listen to this podcast on what is installed for the future of South Korea in its digital media landscape.

                        Listen Here!

                        Anchor

                        Case Studies

                        Case Study #1: Google VS Naver
                        Case Study #1: Google VS Naver

                        lthough Google is the leading search engine in the world, it is not the case in South Korea. Naver.com, dominates the South Korean search market with a whopping 61.9% search share; they rank above Daum, who has 19.7%, and Google, who has only 7.3%.

                        How does Naver do it? Firstly we have to understand the differences between Naver and Google. Google gives you the options to browse whatever results are being returned while Naver brings you the hits and makes you stay in their web to browse these results. In simple terms, Naver acts more like a portal with search engine capabilities instead of a search engine.

Case Study #2: Twitter and it's effect on South Korean elections
                        Case Study #2: Twitter and it's effect on South Korean elections

                        We should never underestimate the effects of social media towards politics. Noticed how President Obama used social media to communicate with his voters. He embraced web 2.0 and revolved his presidential campaign around social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

                        South Korea provides another example on how social media can impact the election. It is one of the world most wired nations, with fast speed Internet and an active political scene. Thus, it is no surprise that a high percentage of the South Korean population communicate actively through the social media scene.

                        Getting your message out and reaching the audience is crucial to every election, and social media platforms are excellent at doing these. This was seen through the "go and vote" campaign that took South Korea by storm during their election period in year 2010.

                        South Korea – Twitter accounts have doubled since June when a "go and vote" campaign spread online and the office of the president began tweeting in hopes of creating better communication with voters.

                        However, it might not be as easy at it seems. South Korea has reportedly banned the use of Twitter during the election period. The National Election Commission (NEC) had actually restricted the use of Twitter for a period of 180-days before the election. These tweets should only be limited to personal views. NEC had even went into the extend of creating a twitter account, @nec3939, to track any illegal campaigns.

                        Case Study #3: Seoul Digital Media City
                        Case Study #3: Seoul Digital Media City

                        With 133-floors and standing at 640m tall, the landmark building's master plan was completed in 2000, and was targeted to be ready by April 2015. Once completed, it will be the tallest building in Asia!

                        This will once again propel South Korea digital media landscape into a new level as South Korea seeks to develop its IT infrastructure. The DMC (Digital Media City) will be home to digital media R&D firms, digital broadcasting centers and IT companies.


 Google buys Korean blog platform TNC, http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10040228-36.html

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