We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.

Why Do So Many South Koreans Still Use Internet Explorer?

Updated: Apr 30, 2017
Views: 3,246
Share

Back in the late 1990s, South Korea built its online financial network around Internet Explorer and the plug-in ActiveX, which is only supported by Internet Explorer. Fast-forward to 2017, and Internet Explorer is on life support, while many other browsers are now available for computer users who want to conduct e-commerce transactions such as online banking and shopping. At least one candidate for South Korea's presidency, Moon Jae-in, running to replace the disgraced President Park Geun-hye, has proposed abolishing a law that has forced South Koreans to use this now-brittle software and cyber-security framework since the late 1990s. South Korea is one of the few countries in which Internet Explorer is still in widespread use, with Japan and Greenland among the other holdouts.

The dark ages of digital innovation:

  • Ironically, South Korea is known for digital innovation, with a 4G LTE network that reaches into Seoul’s subway system. But this tech-savvy country is stuck in a time warp with its dependence on Internet Explorer.
  • An alarming number of public agency websites are still only accessible with IE, including the portals for tax filing, pensions, national health insurance, employment insurance, and immigration requests.
  • In the 1990s, the National Tax Service invested huge sums of money to build its infrastructure around Internet Explorer. There weren’t many users of Chrome, Firefox, Safari or other browsers in 1999, so the agency went all-in on Internet Explorer.
Share

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/why-do-so-many-south-koreans-still-use-internet-explorer.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.