By Cho Jin-seo
Staff Reporter

Korea's government Web sites are gradually veering away from accepting Microsoft's long-term dominance and moving toward supporting multiple PC platforms such as Mac and Linux.

A growing number of public organizations such as Korea Post, the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Government Legislation have agreed to open their Web sites to computer systems other than Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer. The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs also has pledged to alter its e-government site to support multiple Web browsers.

The move was fueled by fierce protests from civic activists of the ``Open the Web'' movement, who are mostly Apple and Linux system users. They have criticized, blamed, and even threatened to sue government agencies for neglecting and fostering Korean Web services to be overly dependent on Microsoft's exclusive technology.

``We can clearly sense the wind of change from the public organizations,'' said Kim Kee-chang, a law professor of Korea University and a devoted Linux user, who is leading the Open Web movement. ``It will be the commercial banks who will resist it to the last.''

Until last year, most banking, stock trading, shopping, gaming and governmental Web sites in South Korea were designed to fit the Microsoft's Windows system and Internet Explorer browser only, leaving users of Apple computers, Linux systems and the Firefox browser helplessly abandoned.

As a result, fewer than 1 percent of computer users in South Korea use non-Microsoft systems, while the percentage is over 10 percent in other countries. Such heavy dependency on the Microsoft products has hindered healthy competition in the market and damaged the industry's growth, protestors say, causing South Korea to be ranked 20th among OECD nations in the software maturity category.

The home affairs ministry was the first to react to the voice of the Internet civil right activists. In a public hearing held in February, it promised to alter the e-government system, which issues official documents such as birth certificate, to be available to various PC platforms.

The Supreme Court was also fast to respond to the matter.

``Actually, I was filing documents to sue the Supreme Court. But when I called them, the official who is responsible for the Web site answered quickly that they would fix the system this year,'' Kim said. ``Then I decided to pick on the Ministry of Government Legislation. They also replied within 24 hours.''

Ironically, Microsoft itself has played a crucial role in the course of action with the introduction of its new Windows Vista system. Vista's enhanced personal security system blocks users from installing Active X programs, which it assesses to be easily imitated and abused by hackers.

``Thank you, Vista!'' an Apple Mac user said on the homepage of Open Web group. ``Things are getting a little more comfortable with Mac users since Vista made the government and private firms turn their eyes to other browsers and other operating systems.''

Still, most banks and other financial institutions are forcing users to install Active X programs on their PCs to use their online services. As the banks and the Korea Financial Telecommunication & Clearing Institute (KFTC) are private entities, it is the Ministry of Information and Communication that should supervise them not to be over-dependent on Microsoft products. But this fight won't be as easy, Kim says.

``We filed a request for a government audit on the ministry in February, and the result will come in mid-May,'' he said. ``If the inspectors ruled the ministry is not guilty of negligence, then we will go for a civil lawsuit.''

indizio@koreatimes.co.kr