Last November, the Korea Times published an article describing how Cyworld, South Korea's social networking kingpin was being invaded by popular foreign services like Facebook and Twitter.
Established in 1999, Cyworld provided the social networking industry in Korea with one of its mega-success stories, exploiting the digital-camera boom and demand for personal web pages to grow into a business that now boasts 25 million users.
SK Communications, the internet company that that operates Cyworld has long been claiming credit for providing the blueprint for global services like Facebook and My Space.
In a related blog at that time, "On The Path To Revival", it is claimed that social networks have considerably revolutionized the Internet usage patterns, with some studies estimating that users now spend more time on social networks than on search engines.
South Korea TV soaps are popular across the region, including in China. They are part of the "Korean Wave" - the export of South Korean popular culture across Asia. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) noted in 2010 that South Korea is one of the few Asian nations where there is real news pluralism.
South Korea is at the leading edge of the digital revolution. It is a trailblazer for high-speed and wireless internet. Nearly 37.5 million out of a total population of 48 million were online by June 2009. The country is a pioneer of TV via mobile devices and the internet. Online gaming is a national passion.