Korean Web: a quicksand for nonMS solution providers

1
Korean Web a quicksand for non-MS solution
providers

• Open Web
• http//openweb.or.kr

2
Official certificateHow it shapes the Korean
Web

• Use of official certificate is mandatory for
  most e-commerce and i-banking services.
• To obtain and use official certificate, users
  must have Windows OS and IE browser.
• Currently, 6 certificate authorities (CA's) are
  licensed to issue official certificates.
• ALL of them use ActiveX controls they serve MS
  clients only.
• Is it lawful to do so? No.

3
Regulatory frameworkfor official certificate

• CAs wishing to issue official certificates
  must meet the requirements of Electronic
  Signature Act (ESA).
• ESA requires official CA's must provide
  certificate UI for Linux and Mac as well.
• ESA requires official CA's shall not
  arbitrarily refuse provision of certicate
  services.
• ESA requires official CA's shall not
  discriminate among certificate service users.

4
Minister of Information Comm'nhis power and
his duty

• MIC oversees provision of official certificate
  services.
• MIC has the licensing power for official CA's.
• MIC can demand official CA's to comply with the
  requirements of ESA.
• MIC can revoke the license of official CA's who
  fail to comply.
• What has MIC done to rectify the current
  non-compliance of official CA's ?

5
Nothing!

• Didn't people complain? Hell, yes!
• How did MIC respond? He didn't .
• Why? Don't know. Ask him.
• Consequences?
• The market share of Windows OS for client PC's in
  Korea rose to 99.4 (as of 2002).
• 95 of Korean websites are MS optimized
• 100 of government websites use ActiveX
  technology.

6
ConvergenceA fatal attraction

• In Korea, the majority of home appliances, mobile
  devices have so far been using Linux based
  embedded solutions.
• That was possible because those devices remained
  separate from the internet.
• However, Broadband Convergence Network,
  Ubiquitous Computing are imminent.
• All those devices WILL go online, meeting the
  Korean internet...

7
Facts

• Non-MS embedded solutions cannot cope with Korean
  web pages.
• Non-MS web browsers cannot handle Korean
  official certificates.
• No Korean consumer will buy mobile phones, PDA,
  PMP, DMB receivers which cannot cope with Korean
  Web.
• What will you do?

8
Open Web!

• Open Web group is preparing a lawsuit against the
  Korean government.
• We shall seek the following judgments
• 1. It is unlawful for a public body to run
  browser-specific or OS-specific websites.
• 2. The official certificate services, in their
  present form, are in violation of competition law
  and GATT / WTO treaties.
• 3. MIC's failure to discharge his regulatory
  responsibilities is unlawful.

9
What you can do.

• Join us!
• Spread the word. Let people know.
• Let's party! Be a party, together with us, in the
  lawsuit.
• We believe in fair competition.
• We believe in free trade.
• We believe in fair and open internet.
• We believe in YOUR CHOICE !

http//openweb.or.kr