World internet population exceeds 400 mil.; Korean surfers number 16.4 mil.

The world internet population has exceeded the 400 million mark. Nua Internet Surveys (www.nua.ie) of Ireland, a world-renowned polling agency, said in its latest data that the number of internet users in the world was tallied at 471 million as of December.

This is more than two times the 210.5 million at the end of September 1999.

The agency called the increase in the internet population remarkable, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, which has 105 million internet users or 26 percent of the world¡¯s total netizens.

The number of Web surfers in the North American region reached 167 million for 41 percent of the world total. However, the growth in the number of Net surfers sharply slowed this year as the internet access market reached a saturation point.

Europe finished in third place with 113 million surfers or 27.8 percent of the world total, followed by Latin American with 16.35 million or 4 percent. Africa had only 3.11 million or 0.8 percent and the Middle East 2.4 million or 0.6 percent, according to the agency.

Meanwhile, the Korea Internet Information Center said Friday that the number of domestic internet users rose 51 percent in eight months to 16.4 million as of the end of August from 10.86 million at the end of 1999.

This figure represents a 22-fold increase in three years and eight months from 731,000 at the end of 1996. Domestic internet users are those who are seven or older and surf the Net at least once a month.

Moon Kwon-Mo africa7@donga.com