Striking the match: PC-bang, the key player that sparked the amazing digital revolution in Korea

摘要

Broadband is an important goal for many policy makers today. Earlier this year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has called on governments to encourage the development of broadband, emphasizing its importance for economic, social and cultural development it will bring.South Korea already has 2/3 of its households subscribing to broadband service. The ratio of broadband users in Korea is three times higher than that of Japan or the United States. This was possible because the Korean government assisted the penetration of broadband by policy, as well as a strong support from the private sector. Among a number of factors that contributed, this paper focuses on one factor that has arguably "stroke the match" to start this broadband revolution in Korea: a new form of business called PC-bang.