By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Reporter
Even the Korean government is riding on the iPhone wave ― administrative agencies have developed various applications dedicated to Apple's smartphone while a mounting number of senior bureaucrats are using the product.
The Ministry of Strategy and Finance (MOSF) uploaded an encyclopedia program on Tuesday showing definitions or usages of economic and current-affair terminologies on the App Store, where iPhone users can browse and download applications.
The program did not attract big attention early on but after an update on Feb. 18, it became one of the most sought-after applications here ― it is now the most-frequently downloaded feature among free applications.
``On top of the MOSF, we learned that other agencies such as regional governments are developing programs to upload them to the App Store,'' KT spokesman Lee In-won said. KT is the nation's No. 2 mobile operator, which markets iPhones.
``As the sales of iPhones remain strong, the number of new application uploads are also expected to rise down the road. In this climate, even the government seems to be riding the wave,'' Lee said.
After its debut late last November, iPhone sales were tallied at more than 300,000 during the past two and a half months. Lee said that the sophisticated cellular phone still sells upside of 2,000 units a day.
The MOSF is looking to further develop fresh applications for the App Store. While it hasn't generated any program tailored to other smartphones, the ministry has a plan to do so in the not-so-distant future.
``We are now working on a program that will display economic indices such as unemployment rates, national outputs, consumptions and investment for iPhone users. It is likely to be launched next month,'' MOSF official Hwang Sun-gu said.
``We opted to work with iPhones because the gadget spearheaded the fever for smartphones in Korea. Hence, we tried to test the waters with the models. Afterward, we will develop programs for other smartphones, too,'' the journalist-turned-official said.
In addition, a number of high-ranking Korean bureaucrats are using the feature-rich iPhones, for which almost 150,000 applications are currently available on the App Store. For domestic users, about 3,500 are on offer with around 100 uploaded every day.
The most noted examples are Korea Communications Commission Chairman Choi See-joong, who leads the broadcasting and telecom policies, and Vice Strategy and Finance Minister Hur Kyung-wook.
MOSF official Hwang noted that Hur recommended that Hwang's team should come up with the program for showing economic indices.
The iPhone was released in Korea long after its global debut because the nation had urged all handsets here to be equipped with a homegrown mobile platform in the 2000s.
The policy was scrapped early last year, which helped iPhones come to town, and generate a nationwide buzz over smartphones.