The IT Heaven

Under several different metrics, Korea is considered one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world in terms of IT (Information Technology).  Not only is advanced technology available, a lot of people use it regularly.

Some facts:

Something like 91% of all homes have broadband internet.

Two of the top electronics manufacturers are based in Korea. 

First country to have mobile digital television as mass market success.

A typical person may have up to 6 different ways to pay for his/her coffee at Starbucks (via credit card swipe, cash, credit card RFID, mobile phone RFID, mobile phone barcode, transit card)

There's 1 GPS navigation system in usage for every 4 cars in Korea.

I pay 30 bucks a month for 100Mbps broadband internet line.

I just did an online internet speed test and it read 12MegaBYTES per second as my download speed within Korea... that means my Ethernet LAN card might be the bottleneck now..

A scenario:

I can send 5 bucks I owe to my friend to his bank account, pay last month's hydro bill, buy 10 stock shares of Samsung, buy tickets to a movie later in the evening, then watch a live televised baseball game... all on my mobile phone...without making an actual phone call... while taking a dump in the subway washroom.  This scenario is not impossible in the US.. but very difficult and very expensive and only possible by the most tech-savvy people.

Possible explanations:

I work in the telecom industry here in Korea, so I think I have some qualifications to state my opinions regarding why technology gets adopted faster and more easily in Korea.  Many industries in Korea are pushing the boundaries of IT, such as commerce, banking, entertainment.  The government is always pushing the IT industry, telling companies to deploy bigger, faster, better networks.  Accessbility due to high density of population helps fuel technology trends.  Patience is not a virtue in Korea where people always want everything faster and quicker.  Inferiority complex formed by being next to Japan forced Koreans to make and buy better gadgets.  Koreans are fascinated with things that flash and beep.  4 out of 5 dentists in Korea recommend people to surf the internet for 3 hours a day.

OK.  Maybe the last few points aren't exactly true...

I like technology myself, so it's convenient to be living in the center of it all.  I just wish it was more advanced so that robots one day will wash and fold my clothes.

This mysterious so-called Lucky Cream stands for the "L" in LG.