Non-Koreans and the Korean internet in the news.

The Korea Times on Tuesday looked at the difficulties foreigners have using online shopping malls in South Korea, whether because of the language barrier or software obstacles.

Some of the biggest online shops, Interpark (www.interpark.com), Auction (www.auction.co.kr) and Yes 24 (www.yes24.com) still do not have any English available that would make it easier for foreigners to register and use the Web site. Only Gmarket (gmarket.co.kr) has a separate English Web site.

If a foreigner understands the Korean language, it can be quite easy to sign up for an account. But for those who are not quite fluent, it can be a struggle.

Teresa Quach, a teacher from Sydney, wanted to sign up for Interpark to buy some concert tickets a few years ago. The registration process was all in Korean, and while she could understand some of the forms, she turned to online translation tools for some help.

For what it's worth, in 2007 I wrote a guide explaining how to register for Interpark, though I can't guarantee the registration form is the same three years later. Even though I signed up and still have an account, and still get spam from them nearly every day, actually buying stuff was too much of a hassle so I grew to avoid it altogether. I don't know if it's still the case now, but a couple years ago I was ready to buy some DVDs only to find they accepted wire transfers from nearly every bank in the country except KEB, the bank I used. Trying to buy airline tickets through Interpark was also extremely irritating.

Anyway, it continues:

But the experience made her feel that foreigners are unfairly excluded from cyber shopping malls, especially since usually it is the most convenient way to buy stuff since it is delivered directly to one's residence.

``I do feel that foreigners are shut out from all the online shops,'' Quach said, noting that even airline Web sites like Jin Air and Jeju Air do not provide English-language booking.

I don't think a Korean website in South Korea in Korean is "unfairly exclud[ing]" foreigners, and belaboring that expected inconvenience takes away from the legitimate barriers that can make the Korean internet an unpleasant experience for non-Koreans.

The article goes on to talk about limited or nonexistent English-language pages, and introduces TheBestBuyKorea, "designed," according to the webpage,

to provide our members with the same convenience and unbeatable price that local Korean shoppers enjoy access to.

On the same topic, I was pleased to read a couple weeks ago a Chosun Ilbo article titled "Website Registration for Expats to Get Easier."

As part of efforts to reduce inconvenience from the uniquely fiddly subscription requirements of Korean websites, nationals living overseas who have no residence registration number in the country can now subscribe with their passport numbers and names.

The Korea Communications Commission on Wednesday said it established an identification system that makes this possible in cooperation with the Korea Internet and Security Agency and the Korea Association of Information and Telecommunication.

The four-sentence write-up has no details, though, and no place to look for more information. The Korea Times filled in some gaps, reporting a day later that this will be for overseas Koreans:

South Korean nationals who have established legal residence overseas will be allowed to subscribe to Korean Internet services by using their passports for identity verification, according to local Internet authorities Wednesday.

Most Korean Web sites require users to submit their names and resident registration numbers, a 13-digit code that indicates their date of birth, sex and registration site, basically Korea's equivalent to social security numbers.

However, the law mandates resident registration numbers to be cancelled for those who obtain permanent residency in foreign countries, making it complicated for them to subscribe to Korean Web sites and other online services based on Korean servers.

Some sites did allow Koreans living abroad to fax over their personal identification cards or other documents to gain approval as members, but this was a frustrating process that normally took about a week.

The Korea Communications Commission (KCC), the country's broadcasting and telecommunications regulator, said it's using the Web sites of two local newspapers to test a system that enables Korean expatriates to subscribe by inputting their names and passport numbers.

The article goes on to say

There are growing complaints among Internet users that subscribing to Korean Web sites has become an annoying experience[.]

but this annoyance certainly isn't limited to Korean internet users, or to people overseas: the Korean internet experience for foreigners in Korea can be pretty rotten.

Then again, there really isn't anything indicating non-Koreans can't use this system to sign up with sites using their passports. Some portals, for instance, already allow that option. If I were running an English-language paper or site in South Korea I might highlight that benefit, rather than appealing to overseas Koreans, but I'm not so I didn't.