Inventions from Korea that you might not have imagined at all!

Good inventions can change the world into a better place. Items invented in Korea also have permeated into the lives of all, making our lives more convenient and more exciting. Can you guess what kind of items were invented in Korea?

invention1 1. Instant coffee mix

About 50 years ago in Korea, coffee was a luxurious drink which was mostly affordable in high class families. However, thanks to the invention of the instant coffee mix in 1976, coffee became inexpensive and people easily began to purchase it anywhere. Eventually drinking coffee got popular among the middle class and was placed as a big part of the Korean culture.

invention2 2. MP3 Player

Most of people might think that MP3 Player was invented outside of Korea. However, Digital Cast, a small Korean company, invented MP3 Player for the first time in 1997. People were shocked by the small size of MP3 player and it was a must have item among the youth back then. Unfortunately, due to the poor marketing management and IMF crisis in Korea, Digital Cast was sold off to Sigma Tel from U.S.

invention3 3. PC Bang (PC Room)

PC Bang is a Korean Internet café and the concept of PC room (or the Internet café) started from Korea. Until the mid-90’s, personal computer (PC) was really expensive and the Internet was not widely distributed. However, as IT industries was nurtured nation wide by the Korean government and PCs were sold at reasonable prices, which eventually led to the installation of high-speed Internet around the country. Due to these reasons, the number of the PC rooms increased rapidly. The PC game ‘Starcraft’ also allured people to visit PC rooms.

invention4 4. Gable top milk carton

When you think of a milk carton, I bet you would come up with the image similar to the one above. The shape of the entrance is called gable top. Dr. Sukgyun Shin, so-called Edison of Korea, invented the new type of milk carton in 1953. Even though the invention was innovative, he couldn’t claim patent because it was in the middle of Korean Civil War. Eventually, this gable top carton was delivered to U.S. by U.S. army and was set as the international standard.

invention5 5. Cheering balloon stick

In Korean baseball games, cheering balloon sticks are everywhere, escalating the exciting mood. These sticks were designed by a Korean company in 1994. These 65 cm long sticks can make sounds 10 times louder than just normal claps. These cheering balloon sticks are used not only in sports games but also in various events these days.

button_main


Trazy.com
a service for travelers to easily share and discover the latest hip & hot travel spots from all over the world. 
We are currently focusing on Korea as our destination and plan to expand to other countries gradually. 

Comments

Re: Inventions from Korea that you might not have imagined ...

Were you taught these things at a Korean school by chance?

Instant coffee was invented in New Zealand in 1890.

The first MP3 player was invented in Germany by Harlheinz Bradenburg with a patent in 1989. He was also part of the creative team that invented MP3 compression. Korea made the first solid state mp3 player.

PC Bang - The rest of us just had a computer at home.

Gable milk cartons were invented by John Van Wormer in the US, patent in 1915.

Cheering balloon stick - who cares?

Re: Inventions from Korea that you might not have imagined ...

And what about the rain guage? 

Or the first metallic movable type printing press (at least 75 years before Gutenburg)

The story intro says these inventions make our lives more exciting. Thank Buddha for the gable top milk carton.