Links from April-June 2020

Here's another collection of interesting Korea related links over the past few months. 

I find that when I usually read something of interest to foreigners in Korea (in Korean), if I just wait a few weeks, eventually something will be written up on it in English. Seems like at some point here I turned this blog from a few tips into a general Korean news announcement blog. I do not have the time (or frankly, the interest) to keep that up so I may rely more on these links posts to spread the information than too many original posts. Maybe this blog has run its course in a way. But for now let's check out the links.

Links from April 2020 ~ June 2020

Changes in online certificates, identification, etc.

One of the most interesting things of the past few months is the rapid progress in online banking, shopping, identification, and the like. The old Active-X security plug-ins and banking certificates that have defined the Korean shopping and banking ecosystem are fast falling away and various new schemes are coming up to replace them, all originally led by the introduction of smartphones and seems to be following that path still. Many of these will depend on phone verification, so it's important that your phone service be under your real name if you hope to take advantage of even the most basic online services soon. 

Here are some articles that share a few details. There are several competing systems but it looks like it will be tied to your phone carrier account at the most basic level. Also driver's licenses will be digital. 

• The End is Finally Near for Korea’s Infamous Digital ID Certificate
• S. Korea to introduce smartphone-based digital ID cards this year
• S. Korea starts smartphone identification service for digital driver's license
• 네이버 웨일-금융결제원, 브라우저 인증 서비스 협력 - Naver's Whale browser itself may handle identification
• Naver, Kakao, mobile carriers vie for digital certificate market
• Evernym partners with LG CNS to develop DID identification cards
• The End is Finally Near for Korea’s Infamous Digital ID Certificate
• Korea to reform real-name financial transaction law
• Telcos Expand Financial Services in Cooperation with Local Banks

Also a good time to remind people: DO NOT let people use your phone number for verification. Do NOT let your buddy "borrow" your number to get the SMS code for some game he wants to play. Phone numbers are closely tied (and about to be even more closely tied) to your actual ID and it is simply too risky to leak. This is another reason you should report a stolen/lost phone promptly to your service center. Also I know guys who still use their old coworker's prepay phone who's been gone for years but the new guy keeps paying the bill, so if that's you, time to sign up yourself. 

Blue House Minecraft map

Adorably, the Korean presidential office released a Minecraft map where you can explore the Blue House (the official home of the Korean president). They even provided English instructions for installing it into Minecraft. Check it out and download the files at either of these links:

• (Republic of Korea) the blue-house Korea map - Maps - Mapping and Modding: Java Edition - Minecraft Forum - Minecraft Forum
• (Republic of Korea) the blue-house Korea map Minecraft Map

Society, Culture, Lifestyle, etc. links

• Bus drivers will lose job for refusing wheelchairs - I've only seen a bus pick up a wheelchair user I think once, and I won't forget how annoyed the passengers and even driver were to have to take time to let him get on. The driver had to pull out (manually) some kind of ramp thing. Hopefully this will be an improvement. 
• Bat flipping and fancy cheerleading: How Korean baseball culture differs from US - in a word: more fun. I feel like Korean baseball is what baseball should have been all along. 
• Museum shares ancestors' insights into epidemics
• [Weekender] Coronavirus takes silent toll on children - Sad read. No play, home abuse. 
• [처음프로젝트] 1431년 5월 13일, 우리나라 첫 소방대 창설 - Neat look at the history of firefighting in Korea. I especially like the linen mops that would be dipped in water and used to douse the fire. Handy trick in an era before hoses and faucets. 
• Expat-run garden offers fresh food, spicy sauces - Looks good
• The Hater's Guide to KBO - Ask A Korean is back with his take
• Int'l marriages to Korean men grow in recent years: report - You know, this is one of those things that if you asked me "What has most changed in Korea in the last 10 years" I would probably have this on the list. The number of foreign women, especially noticeably white women, marrying Korean men, has just exploded. I never used to see white women here. Now it's not unusual to see a Korean man here or there with a white girlfriend/wife. What's amazing is how quickly/easily they adapt to Korean life and language. Yes I understand many more non-white foreign women have had this experience. I just consider that more of a given based on regional geography. Please don't send hate tweets.
• ​Improved personal hygiene prompted by COVID-19 lowers number of common cold patients - Best part of the COVID thing by far. People are actually washing more. Although the number of guys who take a quick pee in the bathroom and leave without hand washing is still uncomfortably high, at least it's getting better. 
• 외국인, 한글 이름으로 휴대폰 개통·통장 개설 가능해진다 - Korean version of following article
• Foreigners Can Now Use Korean Name to Get a New Cell Phone - The good thing here is you can use your name in Korean which can sometimes be easier for signing-up to Korean websites. Sometimes. Because there's still the issue of character counts in forms. 
• Korea to remove ‘alien’ word from ID card issued to foreign residents - Not a huge deal in my opinion, but the point is the revision of the names themselves. 
• 20% of newly elected male lawmakers won exemption from mandatory military service - Not surprising really. Aren't most lawmakers around the world basically draft dodgers?
• [Photo] Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority to build giant video culture complex - in Cheongra. The city of Incheon is really struggling to bill itself as... well... something. But I'm not sure it's going to help keep those debt bills from coming in. Don't worry; just break ground on another major project that likely won't be completed! Solved!
• [News Focus] South Korea’s population decreases 10,000 in 6 months - It begins.
• [News Focus] 4 major cities lose 37,000 residents since Dec. 1 - More on that.
• Korean punk scene's skinhead history - Korean music is so much more than Kpop 
• [Reportage] A day in the life of an emergency response worker in the time of COVID-19
• Lee Je-hoon to star in Naver’s first audio cinema - The Korea Herald - Sounds like old time radio with more steps
• Starbucks Store Renovations Incorporate Traditional Altar Motifs - I love many of the Starbucks around Korea that are integrated into the local design. I wish more buildings were like this. 
• [Feature] ‘Seven years on, refugee protection in S. Korea in retreat’
• [Photo] Seoul to provide vegetarian option in public school meals
• Online preorders for BTS edition of Galaxy smartphone sell out in 1 hour - Hot take: it wasn't that great.
• Two left-wingers cause stir for divisive comments - It's odd to me that some people expect NK defectors to be left-leaning. I'm not surprised many of them hold staunchly right wing ideals. 
• The rally in memory of Martin Luther King at RC 1 in Paju, 1971 - Neat. Didn't know about this history. 
• Coupang to sterilize all delivery parcels - Surprisingly hot topic lately
• Red Cross Photos Provide Rare Glimpse into Life of Refugees, POWs During Korean War
• 장행닷컴행정사 VISA In KOREA @visainkorea - A look at the online system for getting your newly required re-entry permit. This Facebook page is definitely worth a follow. 
• Boy faces arrest for taking pants off in online class - I'm surprised it took this long for this sort of thing to happen. 

Business, tech, etc. links

• KakaoPay makes 'quiet' expansion in Japan
• JUUL Labs stops operation in Korea
• Naver invests 70 bil. won in resell market to launch 'Kream' - Something about that name...
• Home Shopping Channel to Replace Stage Sets with Digital Walls - Reminds me of how they filmed the Mandelorian. 
• The rise and fall of South Korea’s one of the first unicorn startups – Yello Mobile
• Korea to relax regulations on game industry to lead global market
• Tesla Becomes S. Korea’s 3rd Best-selling Imported Car Brand - Have you noticed the increase in Teslas out on the road lately? My building installed a few electric car charging ports (i.e. just stuck some stickers over the existing outlets that proclaim them as car charging ports) but so far nobody uses them. Still I've seen a noticeable increase of Teslas and there are YouTube videos of owners even engaged in Autopilot mode on the expressways. 
• Naver to launch premium online shopping subscription service next month 
• Hyundai to Create Hydrogen Charging Stations at Incheon Airport - Seems like Korean industrial interests really want to push hydrogen but I'm not so sure it's going to take off
• Samsung partners with SKT to release first smartphone with quantum encryption technology
• S. Korea to block teenagers from using certain random chat apps - Even block access to the camera app inside the chatroom? Seems extreme. Better to teach the kids not to do this. What gets posted stays posted. 
• “n번방 피해 막겠다” 방통위, 청소년 ‘몸캠피싱’ 방지 서비스 보급 - Korean article about above basically
• Naver takes on Kakao in mobile ad market
• SM C&C forges content supply deal with Wavve and Naver's social media
• Naver Announces Removal Of “Angry” Reaction Emoji From Entertainment Articles
• New technology allows drivers to receive GPS signals for navigation inside tunnel - Not sure why we need this exactly. My navigation generally works fine in the longest tunnels, though I guess it's presuming my location. 
• Seoul City Expands GPS Coverage to Tunnels and Underground Spaces
• Nissan to Withdraw from S. Korea as Sales Plunge 
• Radio wave-shielded playground debuts for drone and autonomous vehicle research in Seoul
• Korea Post developing app that employs network of self-driving “mobile post offices "
• [Herald Interview] JANDI: Usurping KakaoTalk in Korea’s work communication
• Naver restructures its webtoon empire for expansion
• Unlocking North Korean songs on a karaoke machine
• Naver+ membership launched despite claims of market power abuse
• SKT’s 3D MR Technology Converts Choi Si-won into a 12-meter-tall Giant Image at Super Junior Concert
• AI Facial Recognition to Prevent Substitute Test-taking
• SKT releases congestion prediction service to prevent COVID-19 infection in subways - Forget the infections, this is useful just to get some personal space or even a seat. Imagine if each seat had a sensor, like in parking garages, so you could know exactly where to go for best chance at a seat. Make it happen, Korea. 
• Kakao releases one-stop digital wallet service through smartphone messenger app - Interesting how one of Kakao's strategies seems to be just adding more and more features to KaTalk itself. It's not a messenger, but a portal now. Meanwhile other messengers are slimming down. Hope it pays off. I actually think it will. 
• National Tax Service terminates Cyworld, ICT Ministry to investigate - Odd how this thing just blinked out. 
• Gov’t Allows Hydrogen Stations to Open Convenience Stores
• LG Uplus to Launch AR Glasses in Q3
• LG Corp, Hancom partner up for global market - The Korea Herald
• Safety of fintech services questioned
• Kakao Pay now available at S-Oil gas stations - The Korea Herald
• Galaxy users vent over unwanted ads on default apps - This is an issue in the smart TVs too. Becoming a good reason not to buy Samsung if you ask me. 
• South Korea to use QR codes for entering 'high-risk areas' to contain COVID-19
• Korean Air allowed to install cargo seat bags in passenger aircraft cabins
• Viva Republica allegedly targeted by hackers - Oops
• FSS plans to review security of fintech solutions due to unauthorized payments on Toss - Oops
• 2G Network Services Set to Turn Off 25 yrs After Ushering in Mobile Era in S. Korea
• SKT says goodbye to 2G
• [Exclusive] WeWork Korea begins rapid downsizing
• Competition between music streaming platforms gets stronger
• Korean bakery chain Paris Baguette to open stores in Canada next year
• BLACKPINK collaborates with AR avatar service to offer interactive 3D characters
• Naver Labs creates high-definition 3D model map of Seoul for autonomous vehicles
• [Reporter's Notebook] Time to let go of '011' phone numbers
• Fitness-Tech Korean startups that are set to revolutionize exercise routines
• Foreign startups that are getting success in South Korea
• Gov’t Targets Nationwide Coverage for Women’s Safety App
• Gov’t to Launch ‘Noise Map’ Online
• Introduction of Digital Service Tax in Foreign Countries to Weigh on Naver and Kakao - How the turntables... something...
• Cyworld’s fate hinges on court’s decision
• Kakao prepares to launch new AI voice assistant speaker
• [INTERVIEW] How a disappearing QR code helps combat Covid-19 - more in-depth look at how this works. The QR code is generated via Naver or Kakao app after identifying you via your phone number. 
• 역대 최악의 개인정보 유출 사고…1.5TB 분량 털렸나 - Huge leak from Hana Bank. Weirdly I didn't see anything about this in English. Too embarrassing? 
• Naver releases AI-based customer service solution for financial services
• 카카오키즈, '야나두'로 사명 변경 - Kakao Kids is now rebranded as "Yanadoo"
• Why did Naver change the reaction emoji on entertainment articles?

That's all for now.