Korea Wireless Internet "To the World Market"

Korean companies are lined up to export the wireless contents. They attempted to take the leadership showing the advanced technology and contents of Korea to countries which just started to form the wireless internet service market such as China, USA and Europe.

SK Telecom said on August 5 that it would establish a corporation in China (SK Telecom China) soon and establish the venture company which provides the wireless Internet under the supports of this corporation until the end of the year.

Son Tae-Oh, the leader of China Business Team, SK Telecom said “The prior occupation is the most important in the wireless Internet market that is in the midst of a dispute over a standardization. If we build up a partnership system with the Northeast Asia through going into the China market.”

Started to provide these contents to China market, Samsung Electronics plans to provide the wire & wireless contents to the Europe including the Germany, England, France and Spain. Samsung Electronics has provided the service to download 16 melodies and animation after opening ‘Samsung Paradise(www.samsungmobile.com.cn)’ which is an integrated wire/wireless Internet site in China in April. It already opened this site in Germany, England and Span, and will open this contents site to each country of the Europe.

Small and medium venture companies also have participated actively in this market. They started to provide the bell sound last year, and have extended the export items with a character, mobile game this year.

Specialized in the wireless internet contents, UNPLUGGED MEDIA has provided the character of the Korean popular entertainers through agreement with Sina (www.sina.com.cn - 8 million users)in China, Netease (www.Netease.com - 6 million users) and Huchison in Hong Kong.

NeoMtel which has provided the animation service to 3 communication companies in Korea, in recent years, contracted with the large international communication companies such as QUALCOMM Incorporated and Motorola exclusively.

artemes@donga.com