The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_X_on_2023.svgbt_X_over_2023.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_X_on_2023.svgbt_X_over_2023.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    INTERVIEWINFINITE's Nam Woo-hyun returns after battling with rare cancer

  • 3

    Busan eyes Expo 2035 after losing to Riyadh

  • 5

    December brings mix of action, thriller, romance to small screen

  • 7

    US, S. Korea cast doubt over NK's satellite photos

  • 9

    How can Korea become more migrant-friendly?

  • 11

    Seoul to introduce 'English tutor robots' for young students

  • 13

    Hyundai Motor unveils universal wheel drive system

  • 15

    SPECIAL REPORTKorea should embrace cultural diversity in integrating immigrants

  • 17

    Saudi Expo win puts Korean firms in line for contracts

  • 19

    Airline operating guideline to include mandatory passenger warning against opening plane door

  • 2

    2023 MAMA Awards hits Tokyo Dome with stellar lineup

  • 4

    It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

  • 6

    Cargo ship submerged off Korea's southwestern coast; no crewmen found

  • 8

    BTS wins 2023 MAMA Award for Worldwide Icon of the Year

  • 10

    As Christmas nears, people feel growing income disparity

  • 12

    Why are major South Korean stocks persistently undervalued?

  • 14

    Jefferies to open Seoul office in January

  • 16

    N. Korea says spy satellite took photos of White House, Pentagon, key US naval base

  • 18

    Economist challenges Yoon's immigration policies

  • 20

    Birthrate might fall below 0.7 in Q4

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
Thu, November 30, 2023 | 13:01
Tech
Can Cyworld rebound?
싸이월드 부활할까
Posted : 2012-10-08 15:43
Updated :  
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
SK Communications is attempting to revive its aging social networking service (SNS) Cyworld, evidenced by a recent upgrade but is unlikely to reaffirm its hegemony due to the rise of Kakao Story.

Lee Joo-sik
SK Communications CEO
Kakao Story may prove too big to beat

By Cho Mu-hyun

SK Communications is attempting to revive its aging social networking service (SNS) Cyworld, evidenced by a recent upgrade but is unlikely to reaffirm its hegemony due to the rise of Kakao Story.

The content-making affiliate of SK Telecom has been spending substantially on marketing and investment on new features for a mobile version of Cyworld but industry officials say no amount of work will save it in the face of rising foreign and domestic players.

The firm launched an updated app last month “optimized” for smartphones.
According to SK Communications, it marked 4.5 million downloads in its first week, and the rate at which users uploaded pictures rose 46 percent and visitors to individual pages was up 22 percent.

Some added features include easier access to picture databases, where users can search and upload all the pictures they have accumulated for over a decade since the service launched. A new “shake it” feature allows a visitor to let the owner of a page know they were there by shaking the handset with the page uploaded.

The biggest boost came for Cyworld when singer Psy’s video “Gangnam Style” went viral on YouTube. He was SK Communication’s endorsement model before his song became a global hit and still uses his Cyworld page actively, securing some 1.5 million visitors last week for the SNS by himself. “Psy’s popularity did seem to make the company see a surge in users,” said a Seoul-based analyst requesting anonymity.

It has been using the situation to its advantage, hosting a Psy concert earlier this month exclusively for Cyworld subscribers that saw 10,000 people head to Jamsil Stadium.



However, industry observers say no amount of promotion will save the service from decline.

“What is unfortunate is that the results were lackluster considering the high amount that went into marketing and promotions,” said the analyst. “Because it already had a negative brand image as an old service, no efforts by the company will save its inevitable end.”

The analyst said a truly differentiated service is needed to compete against rising players especially Kakao Story.

The SNS service launched by mobile messenger Kakao Talk currently has over 2.8 million users at just six months old. Cyworld has around 2.7 users, despite its mobile version being released last year.

The main reason for Kakao Story’s popularity is due to its connection with the firm’s free mobile messenger that has around 60 million users, industry officials said. “Like many players who misjudged the value of the mobile platform, Cyworld’s failure to shift its focus to the new market and away from desktops has major consequences,” said an official from a domestic Internet company.

Kakao Talk has vowed to improve the contents of its services and has kept its word. Ani Pang, a recently launched social puzzle game available from its game center launched in July. It is generating 200 million won a day. The company plans to create a service that allows players to post game results on Kakao Story, which will have a huge promotional effect.

“We plan to add new functions to Kakao Story to boost usability and improve communication convenience,” said a company spokeswoman.

“Honestly, none of the people around me use Cyworld anymore but prefer Kakao Story,” said Jang Eun-hyun, an officer worker in finance. “It seems to me that Cyworld is like an old photo album that you just occasionally check now and then.”

Foreign rivals Facebook and Twitter pose a continuous threat as well. “It will be difficult for Cyworld to maintain even a No. 2 position if the current plight continues,” said the official.

싸이월드 부활할까
싸이월드가 최근 경쟁서비스인 카카오스토리에게 가입자 수에서 추월 당하며 시장에서 어려움을 겪고 있다. 카카오스토리는 3월 서비스 시작 이후 약 반년 만에 2천800만명의 가입자를 확보하여 2천700만명의 싸이월드를 젖혔다. 최근 모바일 시장의 급성장으로 모바일 시장에 특화된 카카오스토리로 이용자들이 쏠리고 있다. 싸이월드도 이에 맞춰 최근 모바일 버전을 내놓은 것도 그 때문이다. 최근에는 흔들기 등 다양한 기능을 추가하고 프로모션 이벤트를 진행 중이다. 그러나 카카오도 지속적으로 서비스를 강화할 계획이다. 카카오측은 “국내 최대 모바일 SNS카카오스토리는 사용성을 높일 수 있는 기능들을 계속해서 추가해나갈 계획이다”며 “먼저 카카오 게임하기 순위나 업적 등 게임 결과를 실시간으로 카카오스토리에 손쉽게 게시할 수 있도록 카카오스토리-카카오 게임하기 연동 기능을 추가할 계획”이라고 말했다.
Emailimpale@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
wooribank
LG group
Top 10 Stories
1Busan eyes Expo 2035 after losing to Riyadh Busan eyes Expo 2035 after losing to Riyadh
2US, S. Korea cast doubt over NK's satellite photos US, S. Korea cast doubt over NK's satellite photos
3[SPECIAL REPORT] Korea should embrace cultural diversity in integrating immigrants SPECIAL REPORTKorea should embrace cultural diversity in integrating immigrants
4Saudi Expo win puts Korean firms in line for contracts Saudi Expo win puts Korean firms in line for contracts
5Birthrate might fall below 0.7 in Q4 Birthrate might fall below 0.7 in Q4
6Busan citizens disappointed but ready for World Expo 2035 bid Busan citizens disappointed but ready for World Expo 2035 bid
7Chanel, Hermes, Nike rectify customer policies after FTC warning Chanel, Hermes, Nike rectify customer policies after FTC warning
8Samsung Electronics appoints younger figures in personnel reshuffle Samsung Electronics appoints younger figures in personnel reshuffle
9Journey into Tomorrow: Commemorating 140 years of Korean-German diplomatic relations Journey into Tomorrow: Commemorating 140 years of Korean-German diplomatic relations
10Over 1,000 accountants enter market every year; does Korea need more? Over 1,000 accountants enter market every year; does Korea need more?
Top 5 Entertainment News
1December brings mix of action, thriller, romance to small screen December brings mix of action, thriller, romance to small screen
2[INTERVIEW] ASTRO members aim to shine in musical theater INTERVIEWASTRO members aim to shine in musical theater
3[INTERVIEW] INFINITE's Nam Woo-hyun returns after battling with rare cancer INTERVIEWINFINITE's Nam Woo-hyun returns after battling with rare cancer
42023 MAMA Awards hits Tokyo Dome with stellar lineup2023 MAMA Awards hits Tokyo Dome with stellar lineup
5NMIXX to showcase unique allure with 'Fe3O4: BREAK' album next year NMIXX to showcase unique allure with 'Fe3O4: BREAK' album next year
DARKROOM
  • It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

    It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

  • 2023 Thanksgiving parade in NYC

    2023 Thanksgiving parade in NYC

  • Appreciation of autumn colors

    Appreciation of autumn colors

  • Our children deserve better

    Our children deserve better

  • Israel-Gaza conflict erupts into war

    Israel-Gaza conflict erupts into war

  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel: 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844
Date of registration: 2020.02.05
Masthead: The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group