SEOUL, KOREA - Germany’s mobilemessenger Telegram is fast increasing its presence in Korea where the massiveexodus from the hitherto dominant messenger app KakaoTalk is underway. Telegram,which emerged as a safe haven to online asylum seekers, released an officialKorean app (Android version), accelerating its foray into the Korean market.
This move cameafter Telegram invited volunteers who are professional translatorsin English toKorean on October 2 and released a FAQ Korean website.For Telegram, the numberof Korean users has picked up since the controversy about the government’scensorship of the Korean mobile messenger KakaoTalk.
The PublicProsecutors’ Office recently announced plans to tighten its censorship forInternet contents, including those on KakaoTalk, and established a special teamto constantly monitor conversations on discussion boards on online and mobilespaces. Thereafter, an increasing number of Korean Internet users are optingfor foreign-made messengers.
All Internetservice providers in Korea, including Naver’s email and SK Communications’online messenger NateOn, are subject to the government’sconstant contentmonitoring.
