On July 8, 1853, four American Navy ships led by the Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry (1794-1858) appeared at the coast of what is now known as Tokyo Bay (東京湾). It was a typical show of gunboat diplomacy that demanded the opening of the port through a demonstration of force. The following year, the United States and Japan agreed on a peace treaty.
Oral Statement by the American Navy Admiral (Gasshukoku Suishi Teitoku Kōjōgaki, c.1854). Japanese print showing the 3 men (Commander Anan, age 54; Perry, age 49;
and Captain Henry Adams, age 59) who opened up Japan to the west.
The text may be the letter American President Millar Fillmore (1800-1874)
sent to the Japanese emperor
sent to the Japanese emperor
The flagship of Perry’s fleet was the Susquehanna, a 2450 tonnes paddle steamer. Due to the ship’s coal tar coating, applied to prevent the wood from rotting, the Japanese called it kurofune (黒船, black ship). The main ships of Japan at the time were only somewhere between 100 and 200 tonnes. The black ship was probably as intimidating as a 10 000 tonnes US Navy aircraft carrier is today.
One of the young men who felt the ‘shock and awe’ of seeing this ship was Shoin Yoshida (吉田 松陰, 1830-1859). Yet despite the ship’s intimidating silhouette, Yoshida stole a small fishing boat and approached the black ship to learn about its crew. Yoshida was not allowed on board and had to spend a few years in prison after he made it back to land, but this did not dampen his spirits. The students he taught after he returned to his homeland, including Prince Hirobumi Ito (伊藤 博文, 1841–1909), led the Meiji Restoration (明治維新) in 1867 and modernised Japan.
On November 28, 2009, a slim smartphone was introduced into Korea. The Apple iPhone, only 6 centimetres in width, 12 centimetres in length and 135 grams in weight, changed the Korean mobile communications market in just 3 months.
The mobile phone evolved from a tool for vocal communication to a computer in the palm of the hand that can be used to listen music, play games and surf the Web. According to KT (Korea Telecom, 한국통신), at March 2010, iPhone sales have reached over 400 000. Average wireless data usage per month has increased by a factor of 122. With people also taking interest in the Omnia and Motoroi handsets, the number of smartphone users far exceeds 1 million.
Smartphones’ popularity is restructuring the Korean Internet environment. However, the Korean government’s movements are the opposite of Yoshida’s. For the past few years, it has only tried to repress the introduction of new services in the information technology (IT) field in any way possible. Mobile phones were forced to include WIPI (Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability, 위피) a Korean wireless Internet platform. This prevented the iPhone from entering Korea, the so-called IT power country, for over a year after its release.
Even though Korea has the fastest average high-speed Internet infrastructure in the world, it delayed activation of Internet telephones (Voice over Internet Protocol, VoIP) and Internet TV (Internet Protocol Television, IPTV). This is the reason the country had to watch out for the reaction of telephone companies and national broadcasters. Some problems have been solved, but there is still a long way to go. Using a foreign company’s navigation system or downloading mobile games from the App Store using the iPhone are not possible at the moment because of domestic regulations. Furthermore, Korean Web sites are plagued with annoying required downloads called ActiveX plug-ins. Instead of using official authentication certificates for security, Korean sites still insist on the outdated method of installing virus detection programs, firewalls and other security measures through ActiveX. Therefore, smartphones have problems accessing online banking or online shopping services properly. Experts are despairing over Korea’s ‘digital isolationism’ that refuses to meet global standards.
In Yoshida’s day, Japan had no choice but to open its port to the big black ship. The country quickly accepted Western systems and invaded Korea 12 years later. On September 20, 1875, the Japanese military ship Unyo (雲鷹, Hawk Tear the Cloud) appeared at the shore of Kanghwa Island (江華島, 강화도). When Choson (大朝鮮, 대조선) soldiers attacked the ship for illegal invasion of territorial waters, Japanese soldiers destroyed Fort Choji (長治, 초지진) with naval bombardment and attacked Fort Yongjong (永宗, 영종진). Thirty-five Choson soldiers were killed in battle and 16 became prisoners of war; the Japanese stole 35 cannons and around 130 matchlock guns. Only 2 Japanese soldiers were injured. Still, the Japanese held Choson responsible. In 1905, the road to colonisation opened as the Korea-Japan Protection Treaty was signed at Kanghwa Island.
The Unyo was just a 245 tonnes steam sailboat with 2 cannons. The Choson naval forces beat Japanese ships during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592 (壬辰倭亂, 임진왜란, Japanese Invasion of the Imjin Year) and with the panokson (板屋船, 판옥선) a warship with large arrows that pierced through 40 centimetres of granite. Yet 300 years later, it could do nothing against a small gunboat. It was a chilling end to Korea’s seclusion.
One of the young men who felt the ‘shock and awe’ of seeing this ship was Shoin Yoshida (吉田 松陰, 1830-1859). Yet despite the ship’s intimidating silhouette, Yoshida stole a small fishing boat and approached the black ship to learn about its crew. Yoshida was not allowed on board and had to spend a few years in prison after he made it back to land, but this did not dampen his spirits. The students he taught after he returned to his homeland, including Prince Hirobumi Ito (伊藤 博文, 1841–1909), led the Meiji Restoration (明治維新) in 1867 and modernised Japan.
On November 28, 2009, a slim smartphone was introduced into Korea. The Apple iPhone, only 6 centimetres in width, 12 centimetres in length and 135 grams in weight, changed the Korean mobile communications market in just 3 months.
The mobile phone evolved from a tool for vocal communication to a computer in the palm of the hand that can be used to listen music, play games and surf the Web. According to KT (Korea Telecom, 한국통신), at March 2010, iPhone sales have reached over 400 000. Average wireless data usage per month has increased by a factor of 122. With people also taking interest in the Omnia and Motoroi handsets, the number of smartphone users far exceeds 1 million.
Smartphones’ popularity is restructuring the Korean Internet environment. However, the Korean government’s movements are the opposite of Yoshida’s. For the past few years, it has only tried to repress the introduction of new services in the information technology (IT) field in any way possible. Mobile phones were forced to include WIPI (Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability, 위피) a Korean wireless Internet platform. This prevented the iPhone from entering Korea, the so-called IT power country, for over a year after its release.
Even though Korea has the fastest average high-speed Internet infrastructure in the world, it delayed activation of Internet telephones (Voice over Internet Protocol, VoIP) and Internet TV (Internet Protocol Television, IPTV). This is the reason the country had to watch out for the reaction of telephone companies and national broadcasters. Some problems have been solved, but there is still a long way to go. Using a foreign company’s navigation system or downloading mobile games from the App Store using the iPhone are not possible at the moment because of domestic regulations. Furthermore, Korean Web sites are plagued with annoying required downloads called ActiveX plug-ins. Instead of using official authentication certificates for security, Korean sites still insist on the outdated method of installing virus detection programs, firewalls and other security measures through ActiveX. Therefore, smartphones have problems accessing online banking or online shopping services properly. Experts are despairing over Korea’s ‘digital isolationism’ that refuses to meet global standards.
In Yoshida’s day, Japan had no choice but to open its port to the big black ship. The country quickly accepted Western systems and invaded Korea 12 years later. On September 20, 1875, the Japanese military ship Unyo (雲鷹, Hawk Tear the Cloud) appeared at the shore of Kanghwa Island (江華島, 강화도). When Choson (大朝鮮, 대조선) soldiers attacked the ship for illegal invasion of territorial waters, Japanese soldiers destroyed Fort Choji (長治, 초지진) with naval bombardment and attacked Fort Yongjong (永宗, 영종진). Thirty-five Choson soldiers were killed in battle and 16 became prisoners of war; the Japanese stole 35 cannons and around 130 matchlock guns. Only 2 Japanese soldiers were injured. Still, the Japanese held Choson responsible. In 1905, the road to colonisation opened as the Korea-Japan Protection Treaty was signed at Kanghwa Island.
The Unyo was just a 245 tonnes steam sailboat with 2 cannons. The Choson naval forces beat Japanese ships during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592 (壬辰倭亂, 임진왜란, Japanese Invasion of the Imjin Year) and with the panokson (板屋船, 판옥선) a warship with large arrows that pierced through 40 centimetres of granite. Yet 300 years later, it could do nothing against a small gunboat. It was a chilling end to Korea’s seclusion.
The panokson (printing on paper, 17th century)
Paradoxically, Japan, the country that dominated Asia by opening its ports 100 years ago, recently took a road of seclusion in the electronics and communications fields. Like animals of the Galapagos Islands that independently evolved away from other continents, Japan had top technology but focused only on the domestic market.
Samsung Electronics (삼성전자) and LG Electronics (LG전자) burrowed their way through this crack and are now fighting over first and second place in the international TV and mobile phone markets. However, if Korea continues to insist on ‘Korean way’ in terms of content, software and communication services, Korea too will only end up becoming a ‘digital Galapagos’.
Samsung Electronics (삼성전자) and LG Electronics (LG전자) burrowed their way through this crack and are now fighting over first and second place in the international TV and mobile phone markets. However, if Korea continues to insist on ‘Korean way’ in terms of content, software and communication services, Korea too will only end up becoming a ‘digital Galapagos’.
Giorgio Olivotto
Seoul, Korea
August 29, 2010
Seoul, Korea
August 29, 2010
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