Cyber Culture in Korea
Cyber culture in Korea has been incredibly developed with the import of computer technology about 10 years ago. Computer technology is a main element to change Korean society to called cyber culture. As each country has its own culture, Korea also has applied the advanced technology to her unique culture with her own way, different from other counteries. Also, the growth of number of owing personal computer has helped to escalate the change of Korean society. Compared to 10 years ago, now most Korean families have at least one computer in their home.
Cyber culture in Korea mainly focuses on young generations such as age 10 to 30. However, the main stream of cyber culture is age 20 to 30 because this generation could have experienced and been educated computer at school when they were young. Therefore, they have been grown up now and very good at dealing with computer technology better than their eariler age. Naturally, cyber culture in Korea has been created with young generation and the target of computer and cyber markets has been focused on age 10 to 30.
So, what is cyber culture in Korea? One example of cyber culture in Korea is the change of a pattern of making friends. That is cyber chatting. It has become very poular and now keeps changing the way Koreans meet people. As you can see a left picture and right pictures, this is one of cyber meeting program. The program offeres various cyber space to meet others so participatns in this program choose several places where they want to meet friends. The picture, "a downtown in Seoul", looks exactly same as the real downtown in Seoul. Therefore, the participants can imagine they are meeting real people in real places.
Related link: www.at-dream.com
exotic places
past
Four examples that chatters can choose to participate in the chatting program.
modern cities
future
a downtown in Seoul
Korean culture also has been changed with the creation of cyber human beings. Since 1996, the first cyber human, Adam, has emerged in a Korean TV advertisement. Since that, more cyber humans have been created and, as Koreans have often seen the cyber hunmans in TV or through the Internet, they have being gotten more used to cyber humans. As you see a right picture, this cute cyber baby has been created in Korea to advertise babies' food in 1998.
The first cyber human, Koyko Date, in the world was created in Japan in 1996. Now, in Japan, there are 35 cyber humans because lots of computer companies had realized a great impact and enormous financial benefits from cyber humans. However, only five of them have been still famous.
However, cyber humans are still famous in Korea different from in Japan. The cyber humans in Korea seem to have same roles as real human beings. In TV shows, they are singing like real singers and they have even fan club among teen age girls. Of course, Korean people know they were created by computer technology and are not real people but in the real world, they seem to be real persons.
Cyber baby, Zzaloo
For example, cyber humans have been used in Korean academic system. The first cyber university studnet, Lion, was created in Kyonghee university in 1999. His job is advertising his school through the Internet and TV. In addition, he is even studying in his university as same as a real student. Another cyber student, "Snow", is a studnet in Sookmyoung women's university. She has even her own thought (of course, we know her thought was created from her university). She suggests us what Korean womens' roles for the fulture.
Another example of cyber culture in Korea is that Korean government proclaimed in February. 13. 2000. that cyber universties can give their studnets graduate certificates. The certificates can have same effect and role as general graduate certificates in Korean society. Therefore, 65 Korean universiteis has applied for this system and now 15 universities has being carried out it in their university homepages.
Lion, the first cyber university student
Snow
Korean political parties have statred to use cyber human beings for the advertisement of their parties. One example is that a political party in Korea created its own cyber human, Min, and has being used her with the purpose, finding financial sponsors. One reason of using cyber humans in political parties is that politicians have realized that they should consider young generations, who are very familiar with cyber technology, as their potential sponsors. Therfore, if they use cyber humans, more young talented individuals can be interested in their parties.
In cyber computer games, cyber humans are so usual. Therefore, some Korean kids even imagine these cyber humans as real human beings. The addition to computer games among young kids are emerging as a big serious problem.
Min from a Korean political party