Internet Banking Service To Be Available for Macintosh

Computer users who utilize Linux and Macintosh operating systems are waiting for the super banks to support them with internet banking services.

On March 17, 2003, Macintosh and Linux users congregated to set about the development of a “Free Bank Project” (www.freebank.org).

The internet banking services that have been offered in Korea so far only support the Windows series from Microsoft and its Internet Explorer, causing inconveniences to users of other computer operating systems such as Linux and Macintosh.

As people in the same circumstances get together, their movement has attracted people’s attention. Their activities, which induce banks rather than sticking to an assertion, have had an effect at last. They have promised the banks that if any bank supports Linux and Macintosh software, they would deposit regular sums of money at that bank.

The amount of collected money has reached 16.6 billion won in a year. Approximately 2,200 participants have consented to deposit their money, from a thousand won to tens of millions of won. Some companies have promised large amounts of money.

Kwak Dong-su (photo), professor of Korea Cyber University, who has taken the initiative of this movement, explained that “it is a sort of insisting on one’s own rights in order to prevent the tyranny of the majority.”

He added that “as a result of the investigation into 40 foreign banks, only a few banks in advanced countries stick to a certain operating system.”

The reason that Korean banks have persisted in supporting Windows only so far is that most of Korea’s computer users utilize that system. The security solution and accounts settlement service have been improved based on the Windows system.

Because of this, Linux and Macintosh users have been ignored in the blind spot of cutting-edge financial services.

Their dream has been achieved after one year’s efforts.

Shinhan Bank announced on March 15 that it will support a Macintosh version of its Internet Banking service staring from this April. Shinhan has also promised to develop a Linux version in the near future.

Kwak has remarked that “taking this decision as momentum, the Internet companies, which have concentrated so far only on the majority, should give extra consideration to the minority.”

Hyun-Jin Kim bright@donga.com