South Korea is one of the most technologically advanced nations on the planet, with home-grown tech giants, like Samsung, at the helm of its innovations. If you have visited the Land of the Morning Calm before, you would know that this fame is by no means without merit, as proven by the country's prevalent connectivity network in the form of coast-to-coast broadband and free wi-fi that reaches well into Seoul's subway system.
However, it might come as a shock to you to learn that many South Koreans are still using Internet Explorer in 2021. By now, you would have seen the memes that portray Internet Explorer as a slow and inconvenient browser, used for nothing more than to download better alternatives like Chrome and Firefox. In fact, Microsoft has already stopped supporting the browser and plans to sunset the application in 2022.
So with all that said, the question remains, “Why has Internet Explorer remained relevant in a nation that is commonly touted for its digital innovations?” Let us shed more light on the matter.
Early e-commerce and security concerns
South Korea's decades-long dependence on Internet Explorer stems from the early days of e-commerce, specifically the late 1990s. The Korean government was among the first to push for the adoption of online banking and shopping.
However, this decision was met with massive security concerns from the public. So to alleviate such concerns, the government implemented various measures to make online shopping as secure as possible.
The beginning of ActiveX
One such measure involves passing a law mandating strong online authentication via the use of digital certificates. This system requires online buyers to authenticate their identities, thereby allowing local vendors to identify their clients to prevent scams from occurring.
While this law did solve the public's initial security concern, it came with a catch, as the system required the use of additional software, ActiveX, to function. This software plug-in was created by Microsoft, and it only worked with Internet Explorer. Due to the restrictive nature of the plug-in, South Koreans were limited to using Internet Explorer whenever they wanted to pay their bills or shop online.
More security concerns, but now regarding ActiveX
Ever since the introduction of ActiveX, many other separate yet similarly restrictive authentication systems were created by local credit card companies and e-commerce businesses to handle cheaper purchases, as the main system could only process transactions exceeding 300,000 won.
The general public was willing to put up with the minor inconvenience for added security. However, this sentimentality changed over time as frustrations with Internet Explorer grew. The browser was frequently lambasted for its annoying updates, frequent crashes, and multiple bugs.
Some critics have also argued that Korea's dependence on an archaic system possessed significant drawbacks, primarily exposing the public to malware. Such claims were not unfounded, as several major cyberattacks and data thefts have occurred during the 2010s.
Additionally, to approve the use of ActiveX on Internet Explorer, South Koreans have to click 'yes' on a pop-up prompt before they can proceed. While this measure was initially designed to prevent access to untrusted websites, many Koreans have become so accustomed to clicking on the 'yes' button, they often mistakenly agree to download malicious software.
With growing discontent over the continued usage of ActiveX, South Korea's State Affairs Planning Advisory Committee pledged in 2017 to discontinue the use of ActiveX plug-in across all government websites by 2020 to catch up with modern cybersecurity standards. Following the committee's decision, several organisations, such as the Korea Internet and Security Agency, also announced they would be removing ActiveX from the nation's most popular websites.
Removal of ActiveX plug-in from the websites in South Korea
As of the beginning of 2021, 99.9% of the public websites in Korea have removed the ActiveX plug-in requirement from their site. Unfortunately, despite the removal of the software, the Koreans still require Internet Explorer to browse many of the nation's public service websites.
This is due to the government encountering various difficulties during this transitional period. Realising the scale of the project, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security has issued a public statement indicating that specific e-government services pertaining to the legislative agencies, courts, and election committees may require additional time to move beyond Internet Explorer.
The Korean Court System, in particular, is embarking on a large-scale project costing hundreds of billions of won to build a next-generation system that will eliminate their reliance on Internet Explorer. Unfortunately, the project is estimated to be completed in 2023, a year after Microsoft's plan to sunset the browser, leaving Koreans wondering whether they can continue navigating the site after technical support for Internet Explorer has ended.
So despite the nation ditching the Active X plug-in, many Koreans still find themselves reliant on Internet Explorer to this day. However, some Koreans have continued to use the browser to surf the net out of habit. According to a recent study, 2.17% of the population still uses Internet Explorer. While this statistic may seem low, it is vital to note that South Korea has a population of over 50 million as of 2021. So this still translates to over a million users browsing the web on Internet Explorer.
All in all, the legacy of Internet Explorer in South Korea is a fascinating one. With the removal of ActiveX as a requirement for online shopping and the upcoming discontinuation of Internet Explorer in 2022, many South Koreans will likely have to move to a new browser in the near future.
Are you shocked by this revelation? It is certainly interesting to imagine how such a technologically advanced nation could still be restricted in such a way as recently as 2021. This is just one of the many interesting facts about South Korea, with many more hidden deep within its culture and history.
If you are interested to learn more about Korean culture, you should consider signing up for Korean lessons today! Learning the language can help you to gain a better grasp of Korean culture and history, as specific nuances can often be lost in translation. At ONLYOU Korean Language School, we strive to make learning Korean fun and enjoyable by incorporating non-traditional teaching methods to keep students engaged on their Korean learning journey.