Korea has the fastest internet speed in the world!

Eunmi told me she downloaded an entire show in just a few seconds. She says that you can download 1 gigabyte movies in just 10 minutes in Korea. I told her that can’t be right.

She looked around and found an article that shows South Korea ranking 1st in internet connection speeds.  It turns out that South Korea has the world’s fastest internet, with average connection speeds of 11 Mbps. That’s the average.

I tested the speed of the internet connection at my place in Seoul, and my download speed was 45 Mbps. Thats ten times faster than a cable connection in America. A study states that Korea has the fastest connections, with the US placing 18th in the world.

That means that I can download a gigabyte in less than 3 minutes. Insane.

With integration of wireless technologies such as the WiMax egg, watching streaming HD movies wirelessly anywhere in Seoul has become a reality. Just imagine what will happen when WIFI is available via iPhone when it finally arrives this fall.

Look below, that is a screenshot of an internet speed test from speedtest.net on Eunmi’s laptop at my place.

I love my iPhone. It is the best phone/handheld device that I have ever owned. I still have the 1st generation iPhone, but with constant software updates from Apple and 50,000 applications available from iPhone app developers, there’s always something new and interesting to do with it. The new iPhone 3Gs looks even more incredible. I have particular interest in the new phone’s “touch focus” camera and at last, a camera with video capability. To have a phone, high quality internet browsing, iPod, great low-end camera, and a video camera all in one device would be incredible (I currently have to carry my Korean phone, iPhone, AND my camera just about everywhere I go).

This is why one of my first tasks upon arriving in Korea was to get my iPhone working. I walked into every cell phone store I could find and simply said “SIM card” while pointing at my iPhone. Each representative would respond by crossing their arms and repeatedly saying “no, no, no.”

Finally, after visiting several stores with bilingual friends, I realized I was beating a dead horse.

There seems to be many theories on why the iPhone does not exist in Korea, but I think I have finally gotten to the bottom of this. You cannot have an iPhone in Korea for one main reason – Korean cellular phones are required to use what they call WIPI (Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability). This has prevented any global competition from interfering with the big domestic hand-phone business in Korea.

For now, I have to deal with carrying 3 devices in my pocket. But, of all three devices, my iPhone is still my favorite. With WIFI everywhere in Korea, I am at times able to get on a network and browse the internet, check my email, or even make calls on my Skype internet phone on my iPhone despite not having cell phone capabilities.

However, there seems to be a glimmer of hope. This past April, the WIPI requirement has been lifted, allowing for other wireless platforms to compete. Apple has received approval from the Korean Communications Commission (KCC) to sell the iPhone 3G in Korea.  It is speculated that both SK Telecom and Korea Telecom (KT) are in talks to with Apple to release the iPhone under their networks. Then again, I have read from numerous sources that the iPhone was supposed to come to Korea last summer, then this past winter, then this past spring. At this point, we can only hope.

120 days	latest (Jul 3) 1265.66	lowest (May 11) 1233.76	highest (Mar 2) 1583

In four months, the Korean won has strengthened 20% against the U.S. dollar. If you had bought Korean won at its peak in February, and cashed out your currency account, you would have realized a 60% annualized return. I don’t suggest you start gambling with currencies, but it is interesting to think about. At the time, I was considering wiring some money from my U.S. bank account to my Korean bank account, but felt it was too risky to bet against the dollar.

On February 27, earlier this year, Forbes.com had posted a Reuters article quoting some notable economists on their outlook of the Korean won. Masafumi Yamamoto, head of FX Strategy Japan at RBS in Tokyo had stated a forecast of 1700 won to the U.S. dollar for end of June. Mr. Yamamoto was off by almost 30%. Another economist expected a collapse in Korean exports.

At the time, the Korean won was depressed due to speculation that South Korea would be particularly hard hit by the economy given Korea’s dependence on exports. The weaker won was perhaps the exact reason why the Korean economy today shows signs of recovery.  The weak won was what gave Korean exporters the competitive edge to beat out other manufacturers.  Exports have increased 17.4% since last month due to strong worldwide demand of Korean televisions and cellular phone handsets.

Although still facing banking issues like the rest of the world, South Korea seems to be one of the first countries to be on the road to recovery. In fact, South Korea may be the first Asian country to raise it’s interest rate this November.

I don’t know exactly what this means, but I have a pretty good idea. The illustration is hilarious. I noticed it on the subway wall going to Noryangjin. I would imagine it’s either a warning to would be perverts on the subway, or a precautionary measure for any ladies out there that may not be aware of perverts on the train.

I have not personally witnessed a pervert in action, or violated myself, but I guess this would be good information for anyone reading my blog that’s interested in visiting this otherwise civilized country.

If anyone can translate the Korean, let me know. I’m very curious to know what the sign says.

When I first saw an emergency vehicle back up with this tune, I couldn’t stop laughing.  Someone told me that when there is a fire, a huge entourage of emergency vehicles respond. Like 15 firetrucks, 5 police cars, and 5 ambulances.

If I can get a video of all the vehicles trying to turn around in reverse with the jingles, I think the video would go viral on YouTube.

You’ll notice “119″ on the side of the ambulance. Instead of 911, you dial 119 in an emergency in Korea. You can guess what dialing “114″ connects you to.