2 Hours A Day Online Game – Email

Out of 10 households, 5 households have a computer. Out of 10 persons who are over 6 years old, 6 persons know how to use the computer and Internet. Also, the PC users use mainly an online game and e-mail in front of the computer for 2 hours on the average.

On July 28, Korea National Statistical Office(NSO) announced as above through the report of ‘Information fact-finding survey results’ for 77,000 persons who are over 6 years old, of the nationwide 28,000 households.

▽PC households, Double the figures of 1997 〓 The rate of PC households is 60.1% doubled over 29.0% in 1997, and increased by 6.3% over the last year (53.6%).

Among people who are over 6 years old, 63.0% people increased by 4.3% over the last year, answering as ‘Know how to use the computer’. Out of PC users, 94.3% users use the Internet. Out of the population who is over 6 years old, 59.4% users know how to use the Internet.

In terms of a sex, the rate of male PC users (69.6%) is higher than the rate of female PC users (56.5%). In terms of the age, over 95% of elementary school students and 99% of middle/high school students and college students can use the computer. However, as people get old, the rate decreases rapidly such as △the age 30: 74.7% △the age 40: 48.2% △the age 50: 21.3%. Accordingly, there is the serious ‘digital divide’ based on the age group.

▽ Game, the first reason for Internet using 〓 To the question on the reasons for internet using (overlapped response), 60.6% of respondents answered as ‘Online game’. As other answers, there were e-mail (59.5%), web-surfing (34.6%), education(28.3%) and leisure activities (27.7%) in order.

In addition, 25.2% of internet users increased by 9.9% over the last year, purchasing the goods more than once through Internet electronic commerce for 6 months before the survey.

Joong-Hyun Park sanjuck@donga.com