Korean Job Discussion Forums

[gsxr750r]

http://english.yna.co.kr/Engnews/20070401/640000000020070401164313E1.html

New Luxury tax on internet usage in Korea

All internet accounts to be taxed 3,500 won/month.
Hardware dongle required for internet use

(AP) SEOUL -- The Korean government is expected to quietly pass an internet tax law to help fund new Vista-based Active-X web changes, and control illegal downloading.

The internet tax, which will begin in May, will be based on bandwidth and would be applied on a graduated scale according to the speed of a users internet connection. The internet tax will start at a base of 3,500 won per month for most users, and will create funds to relieve the pressure and costs incurred by businesses forced to make expensive ActiveX updates due to new Microsoft Vista operating system restrictions.

Foreign Residents without an Alien Registration Card will be required to pay the monthly tax at a higher rate of 5,000/month plus and additional surcharge on downloading fees.

Kim Tae Won, director of the Internet Control Division headquarters in Seoul says "foreigners that do not have work in Korea only hang out on internet forums, visit pornographic sites different from Korean citizens who mostly use the internet for banking, ecommerce, and furthering their education".

In addition to the bandwidth tax, an extra usage tax of 1,000 won per gigabyte downloaded will be levied on those using Bittorrents and surfing foreign language internet forums.

New hardware required

The new internet tax will require all internet users in Korea to install a USB hardware dongle, provided free of charge by their internet provider. The government will also make dongles available at all subway stations and participating Family Mart and Buy The Way stores. Without the dongle, users will be disconnected after 2 minutes of use.

Attached File dongle_Apr2_2007.jpg ( 8.93k ) Number of downloads: 358

A dongle is a small hardware device that connects to a computer
serial port, to administrate the software who controls the user.
When the tax dongle is not present, the software runs in a restricted
mode or refuses to run. Windows XP and Windows Vista operating
systems are likely to hang without the tax dongle installed.

"This is a disaster" says Park Se Wan, owner of the PC XPress Internet Cafe near Sanwangsimmni in Seoul. "We need to raise our minute fees up by 300% from today, and set aside special computers for those wishing to use internet forums."

Cho Tae Il, manager of the Excite Internet shop in Itaewon says that she will now have to limit foreigners using the internet in the shop to one at a time, to keep costs down.

The head of Hanalo Telecom, Dr. Cho Il Hwang says this is a blow to internet users in Korea, who already enjoy fast internet speeds and almost no down time.

The Korean government has also announced a new range of GPRS packages for foreigners, starting with 100hrs for 20,000 won, to combat the new internet tax. Other operators are likely to announce new GPRS charges soon.

Foreigners applying to the Internet tax need to provide a valid passport with Non-Immigrant Visa, health certificate and 6 color photos 4x2 cm, plus a verified copy of their visa, and proof of housing.[/size]

[mrsquirrel]

This has got to be a piss take.

Very funny April Fools joke.

They want me to install software on my pc that will cripple it if a piece of goverment issued hardware isn't installed?

This dongle won't spy on my surfing habits and report back to the internet police what I'm doing?

How can people safely access banks and credit cards etc with an

[Niagara]

hahaha nice work....

[gsxr750r]

If only it were a joke.

Why is Dave's so screwed-up today? Nothing loads fast, and links are messed-up too.

Additional links:

https://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/04/02/200704020994.asp

http://theseoultimes.com/ST/db/read.php?idx=15060

[mrsquirrel]

None of those links work either when pasted into the web browser.

There is nothing on the internet about it at all.

[mrsquirrel]

None of those links work either when pasted into the web browser.

There is nothing on the internet about it at all.

Plus the health certificate bit gives it away.

I think it's the papers wind up or somebody elses.

[Travelous Maximus]

[pkang0202]

Good one.

I told my friends and family I was being deported cuz my VISA got canceled. I made up some elaborate story about the immigration official that granted my visa got busted for accepting bribes and all VISAs he issued within the past 5 months were null and void.

They bought it, hook line and sinker. When I told them today it was an April Fool's joke, they told me to never come back.

[SuperHero]

[Bondrock]

dongles?

you are too late for April Fools... it can only be a joke if it happens before noon on the 1st. There were plenty of others that posted just after midnight....

better luck next year, son.

[gsxr750r]

I wasn't aware of such a rule.

[mindmetoo]

Well done.

[ChuckECheese]

[gsxr750r]

Korean women already complain about dongle size the way it is.

[Milwaukiedave]

dumb