[Courtesy of Pokémon Go YouTube Channel]
Nintendo's "Pokémon Go" hasn't yet made its official debut in South Korea, but curious manias are able to test the new smartphone hit through a loophole created by game developers using US search engine Google's perfect mapping service.
"I am finally here! I wish I could take a few more days off from work so that I can stay here and play Pokémon Go," DesignerHwangPang, a user of South Korea's online gaming community, Inven, wrote in his victorious message posted from a border town in South Korea's eastern port city of Sockcho.
The gamer was among a group of firstcomers who have rushed to Sokcho since Nintendo released a new smartphone app for its Pokémon fantasy monster
character franchise. The game, which lets users track down virtual monsters in their vicinity, has topped the free-to-download app charts for iOS and Android in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia since its release on July 7.
The Augmented Reality (AR) video game recreates Pokémon's underlying story of players scouring the world in search of "pocket monsters" to train and battle with each other. App users are encouraged to wander their own surroundings and unlock new Pokémon characters using location tracking on their smartphones. Some players dared to take long trips in pursuit of virtual Pokémons.
The game is free-to-download and play, but additional items are available for purchase. Nintendo also plans to release a plastic wristband device that will alert gamers to Pokémon activity.
The game, based on the global positioning system (GPS) and Google's map data, is not available in South Korea, which is technically at war with North Korea and remains reluctant to provide official map data to Google.
Google provides almost unrestricted map services worldwide, covering sensitive features even in North Korea. But it cannot do so in South Korea because of its security law which bans unauthorized exports of map data and requires Google to have sensitive items blurred.
Such restrictions, however, created a loophole in just a small area close to the heavily fortified inter-Korean border, attracting enthusiastic gamers who have moved on tips from their colleagues living in Sokcho.
While most of the southern part of the Korean peninsula is dissected into diamond-shaped regions which are appointed as non-serviceable areas, Sokcho is left out, making it the only place available for Pokémon Go's service. [Clien.net]
It's hard to explain why the new game is only available in Sokcho, but an expert related to Google said that port city is recognized as a part of North Korea in the game's system. The game's developer, Niantic Labs, dissected most of the southern part of the Korean peninsula into multiple diamond-shaped sectors and designated them as non-serviceable. Sokcho is left out.
Theoretically, Pokémon Go is available to play in all countries except China, South Korea, Taiwan, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar and Sudan, according to Niantic Labs' online post.
"Pokémon Go is playable in Sokcho because it is recognized as part of North Korea," the expert told Aju News.
The exceptional location in South Korea sparked an online fuss. Online gaming communities such as Inven were flooded with a flurry of inquiries and reviews as well as posts and screenshots of the working game. A skeptical initial reaction gave way to positive comment posted by those who made an on-site survey.
"I am calling in sick tomorrow at work, and will leave for Sokcho right now!," said an Inven user.
Edited by Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com