`World Cup Avatas` in Boom

`Another self in the cyber world` avata is also going through the World Cup fever.

Not only avatas of 6 national players, including Ahn Jeong-Hwan and Hong Myeong-Bo, were introduced, but traditional costumes of the World Cup participants have come out on the Internet.

Star marketing agency Istar Network revealed that it signed business contract for 10 World Cup national players on the 29th, and developed avatas of Ahn Jeong-Hwan, Hong Myeong-Bo, Yoo Sang-Chul, Hwang Seon-Hong, Choi Seong-Kuk, and Lee Min-Sung for the first time.

The agency is to draw lots to give out signature `Fevernova` balls to those who buy the players’ avatas through Yahoo Korea (www.yahoo.co.kr), Netmarble (www.netmarble.net), and Naver (www.naver.com).

There is also an avata service that helps a user experience a participating nation’s culture.

Joy First (www.joyfirst.com) has introduced avata-costumes of 20 World Cup competitors, including the U.S.A., Russia, Mexico, Brazil, France, and England.

“These national costumes can be worn after making `real-face avatas` for free on the Internet. Service items are to develop into what each country is famous for,” said president Kim Sang-Hun.

Im-Sook Ha artemes@donga.com