Users of Computer Communications �

2022.06.29

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전길남

Chon Kilnam

KAIST

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2022 KR4050 Workshop 2021.11.20rev2022.05.06

Table of Contents

1. User Migration

2. Timeline

3. User Population; Internet, PC통신, (Smartphone)

4. Remarks

5. Issues

References

Appendix Timelines;

Mobile Phone

PC통신

Internet

Appendix Internet Users

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1. User Migration in Korea (To Internet and Phones)

Internet Users PC통신 Users Mobile Phone Users

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1982~ 1984~ 1984~

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(1997 Daum, Naver) 1997~ (To Internet, Phone)

2000s PC통신 Phased Out

(2008 Smartphones)

(2010 KakaoTalk) 2010s~ Partially to Phone

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IoT (Non-Human Users)

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2. Timeline; 한국 and (World)

1970s (Message/Email, Bulletin Board Systems)

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1982 IPv4 Internet in South Korea

1983 UUCPNET & USENET News in South Korea�1983 AOL (and CompuServe, Prodigy in 1980s)

1984 천리안(Chollian) by 한국데이터통신 (PC통신)

1986. Korea Economic Prestel by 한국경제신문 (KETEL/1988, KORTEL/1992; PC통신)

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1993 (Short Message Service by GSM)

1994 상용 Internet Services in South Korea; KT, Dacom, INET

1997 Hanmail by Daum (web-based application)

1997. Search Service by Naver (web-based application)

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2009 (Instant Messaging Service by Whatsapp)

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3. User Population in Korae; Internet and PC통신

1994

140,000 Total Internet Users in South Korea [World Bank]

10,000 Commercial Internet Users in South Korea [NIA]

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1997

1.7 million Total Internet Users in South Korea [World Bank]

1 million Total Internet Users in South Korea [NIA]

3 million PC 통신 Users in South Korea [NIA]

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4. Remarks

1. Korean language support:

- Internet did not support Korean language well initially (before commercial ISPs)

- USENET News did not support Korean language.

- PC 통신 supported Korean language from the beginning.

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2. There were 3 major user groups of “computer communications” in South Korea in � the 20^th century;

- Mobile phone (Short message service,…)

- PC통신

- Internet

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3. PC 통신 users started to migrate to the Internet and mobile phones from the late 1990s, � and PC통신 services were closed down in the late 2000s.

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4. Korea Economic Prestel changed its name to KETEL in 1988, and KORTEL in 1992.

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5. Issues

1. Need good statistics of 20^th century; mobile phone, PC통신, Internet.

2. Keyboards

- Full keyboard

Full (Qwerty) keyboard is commonly used in western world.

- Keypad (10-keys)

Commonly used in Asia (Korea, Japan,…) for local scripts.

3. Why was PC통신 popular in Korea in 1990s, but phased out in 2000s?

4. Did PC통신 users migrate more to Internet, and/or mobile phones?

5. Many Internet users in Asia migrated to smartphone in the 2010s.

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References

Asia Internet History, Chapters 3 and 4, First Decade (1980s), 2013.

Korea Internet History, Year Table, 2021.

World Bank, Internet population, 2021.

NIA, Internet and PC 통신 Population, Korea Internet History, 2021.

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EN.Wikipedia; Short Message Service, Instant Messaging, and BBS, 2021.

KO.Wikipedia; PC통신, 무선호출기, 휴대전화, and SKT, 2021.

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Appendix Timelines

A1. Mobile Phone

A2. PC 통신

A3. Internet

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Remark: (event) implies a global event

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Appendix A1 Timeline – Mobile Phone/Smartphone

1982 무선호출기(삐삐, Pager)

1983 (Motorola phone)

1983 (Short Messaging Service - GSM)

1984 한국이동통신서비스 (🡪1994 SK Telecom)

1984 Short Messaging Service

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2007 (iPhone)

2008 Smartphones in South Korea

2010 5 Million Smartphone users

2010 Kakao Talk

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Appendix A2 Timeline – PC통신

1983 AOL (and CompuServe, Prodigy and others in 1980s)

1984 천리안

1988 천리안 – 상용 service

1997 3 million users

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Remark: Need data on PC 통신 user‘s migration to Internet and � mobile phone/KakaoTalk

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Appendix A3 Timeline - Internet

1969 (Internet with NCP)

1971 (Email with @)

1980 (USENET News)

1982 IPv4 Network in South Korea

1983 USENET News in South Korea

1990 (WWW)

1993 Website in South Korea

1994 Commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP) in South Korea

1997 1 million Internet users in South Korea

1997 Hanmail – web-based email

1997 Search service (Naver) – web-based service

2000 21 million Internet users in South Korea

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Appendix Internet Users in South Korea

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Internet Users Population Internet Users

(% of Population)

1990 0.023 42869283 9,860

1991 0.046 43295704 19,912

1992 0.098 43747962 42,430

1993 0.250 44194628 110,487

1994 0.311 44641540 138,835

1995 0.82 45092991 369,763

1996 1.624 45524681 739,321

1997 3.601 45953580 1,656,479

1998 6.782 46286503 3,139,151

1999 23.552 46616677 10,979,160

2000 44.700 47008111 21,012,626

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[Source: data.worldbank.org, 2021; Individuals using Internet, Population]

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