Even though the IT sector of Korea is highly advanced, its infrastructure is limited. It is primarily, and was once only based on Microsoft computer operating systems.
This limits basic computer uses such as Internet servers and web page accessibility to only function with Microsoft Windows. Until this year, South Korea's governmental web pages would not work with Linux, Macintosh, or other non-Windows based computer operating systems.
Hard to believe Not really. From the beginning, South Korea created a predominantly MS-based webpage system.
History On January 25, 2003, Korea's dependence on Microsoft hit them hard. A large computer worm, similar to the 2001 Code red worm but not focused on hitting personal computers, infected traffic-directing Internet servers worldwide. This worm created some problems in Europe and America, putting the major MS-based web servers on a circuit hold that slowed down all Internet transactions. In South Korea, though, it caused all Internet computer servers to shutdown for nine hours. This means that any personal, business, or governmental Internet transaction could not happen during that time period. Of all the countries in the world, it was only South Korea that was put in such a situation.
Stimulus for change The jump start of the change to accept non-based Microsoft operating systems occurred in the early to the middle 2006, when a group called Open Web Korea was rallying together and quickly gaining support to sue the South Korean government.
Their main grievance was that the Korean government was actually infringing their own governmental laws and acts through their supposedly open web policy. These acts and laws include the Electronic Signature Act, which requires official certificate authorities to provide certification services for Linux and Mac users and Windows users, and the Electronic Commerce Act, which imposes a legal duty on the government to ensure inter-operability of e-commerce solutions.
At that period of time, all South Korean governmental sites were running solely on Active X and Microsoft servers. None of these servers were compatible with Linux, Macintosh, or other non-Microsoft operating systems. This lack of consideration for their own self-constructed laws on the part of the government led the group to list the following grievances: 1. It is unlawful for a public body to operate browser-specific or operating system specific websites 2. The government's decision to endorse MS optimized websites and web security applications is in violation of its treaty obligation under GATT/WTO as they create trade barriers to web browsers originating in other member countries of WTO, such as Norway 3.
In view of the market condition and the prevalent web page designing practice in Korea, the government has a duty under Article 3(1) of the Antitrust and Fair Trade Law and under Article 4.1 of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) to adopt and implement appropriate measures to encourage private entities to comply with international standards in Internet engineering.
Open Web Korea said that it would sue the Korean government if it did adjust its mentality towards its own IT centered laws, and therefore, its attitude to non-Microsoft computer owning Korean citizens. Since then, a change has come over the governmental sites, such as www.egov.go.kr, that allows Macintosh and Linux users to log on to the page and browse through its information.
The pages of today Cyworld, the famous Korean-to-Korean communal connecting online neighborhood, is kind enough to have a foreigner account making page. However, this considerate community-focused web society forgot that many foreigners might not use Microsoft operating systems on their computer.
The result of this is a nice run-around on the site until the non-Microsoft operating system user gets tired and does not want to become a part of the inclusive community.
Naver, another Korean community based website and search engine, also has problems with a Macintosh OS X G4. While searching the website, the user can fly between web pages and discover wonderful information that could be priceless and impossible to find with an Englishbased search engine; however though, when the Macintosh user tries to expand their Naver experience into the multimedia sector, they are sadly faced with many impossible situations, especially in their music listening arena.
This small lack, that might seem minute to most Microsoft loving users, is unfair, as a leader of Open Web Korea might say. Why, just because a computer owner decides to go for a different and sometimes more efficient computer system, shall he or she be locked out of visually and/or audible fulfilling experiences
South Korea was able to become a Little Tiger, pouncing on and devouring each ITfocused economic goal it desired. It was only within the last year, though, has its government and IT-sector began to bandage the computer operating system scars left by the country's quick growth.
