[Courtesy of Google]
The ecology of web browsers in Korea is somewhat different to those overseas. Since many of the Korean web services require ActiveX, a plug-in for Microsoft's Internet Explorer, for proper use. It's a harsh environment for other browsers to survive. But to a surprise, Google's Chrome browser has taken over the Internet Explore in usage, becoming the most used browser by Koreans, according to a survey result.
A market survey specialist StatCounter released a report which indicates Chrome takes Korean PC browser market share by 46.1 percent while Internet Explorer took 44.35 percent. Last month, the Internet Explorer was ahead of Chrome by 2.29 percent.
The survey analysts from StatCounter speculated that the progress made by Chrome is due to the distribution of Android OS. Chrome browser is considered more efficient by the users since it is connected to the smart devices, sharing the favorite websites and settings.
Also, Microsoft announcing that the company would discontinue its support for the Internet Explorer and move onto Windows 10's Edge browser in January, may have affected the market share greatly.
However, it seems that Chrome browser making rapid progress in market share is still hard, because many of Korean websites, such as internet banking services and online shopping malls still persist in using ActiveX to distribute and manage security tools. Some offer alternate services for Chrome users, but the process is complicated and time-taking, which forces users to use the Internet Explorer or use apps on smart devices.
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reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com