It's all go, go, go for Korea's 'Pokemon Go' players
/Courtesy of Twitter
By Lee Han-soo
Smartphone game “Pokemon Go” has become an international sensation after its release on July 6 in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. Now, Korean fans have found a way to access it.
The game, developed by Niantic, uses GPS and a camera to locate and capture in the real world fictional “pokemons.” The characters originate from the Japanese media franchise Pokemon in 1995.
Korean fans were frustrated when they heard the game might not be available in South Korea.
“Pokemon Go” operates with Google Maps and the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOILT) has denied Google access to a precise map of the country. Google again requested the map in June and MOILT will decide in August whether to give the information.
But Korean users have found a way to play the game after finding a loophole in the system. Niantic developed a GPS-based game called “Ingress” in 2013. During development, the company gathered GPS information around the globe, including from North Korea. The same data was used in developing “Pokemon Go.”
The data divides countries into diamond cells. Because it categorized areas around Sokcho, Gangwon Province, as a North Korean sector, the game functions in the city’s vicinity.
After the information went viral, buses to Sokcho have been fully booked for the weekend. People who failed to reserve a ticket posted on social media that they will be driving to Sokcho to play “Pokemon Go.”
Sokcho has posted a city map showing free Wi-Fi spots to help Pokemon players who will be visiting this weekend.