Whenever Korean web users browse through websites, they always have no choice, but to follow directions from unidentified programs. A significant number of websites that Korean users access everyday use Microsoft's "ActiveX" controls, which have been the bread and butter of website developers' in South Korea. Website developers in other nations have opted for a variety of choices other than using ActiveX.
Since ActiveX controls come in handy in comparison to other web development technologies, some even say that ActiveX controls have measured up to Koreans' "make it snappy" mentality. That is why South Korea's Internet has evolved in a different way than the global Internet environment, making some sites accessible only in South Korea. ActiveX was developed by Microsoft to enable websites to run Windows programs over the internet. The application is installed on the users' PCs, allowing web users to use online documents and contents conveniently.
When web users access certain sites, the application program is automatically installed, helping in all kinds of Internet applications ranging from security patches, music-listening programs to viewers. Once ActiveX controls are installed, automatic music listening and online banking are possible. Although ActiveX boasts such convenient features, there is a downside to it: it bypasses web standards, leaving web security porous and all sites solely reliant on the environment created by ActiveX. Now, the reliance by Korean Internet sites on Internet Explorer exceeds 90%, a stark contrast to foreign web sites allowing non-Microsoft browsers like Firefox, Chrome, and Safari to function on them.
Therefore, domestic web developers design Internet websites without considering their interoperability with other web browsers, consequently, making some websites inaccessible in other nations. Now is the time to redesign all the websites to work on standards-compliant browsers, not solely relying on ActiveX.
