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TWITTER HYPE RAISES EYEBROWS IN S. KOREA'S POLITICAL
Jul 02, 2009 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) --
$all $sk $pol $net
SEOUL, July 3 Asia Pulse - The global hype surrounding
Twitter, a U.S.-based on-line social networking service, has
caught on with a number of political heavyweights in South
Korea seeking to stay in sync with high-tech voters shaping
political discourse here.
Given its direct, unfiltered and real-time character
distinct from other networking services, jumping on the Twitter
bandwagon is increasingly seen here as an inevitable step in
efforts to better reach out to the electorate.
The micro-blogging site, run by a U.S. venture start-up of
the same name, allows users to send out "tweets" -- messages no
longer than 140 characters -- over the Internet through
computers and mobile devices that are picked up by "followers"
who subscribe to receive such feeds.
The service has captured worldwide attention due to its
extensive use by such high-profile figures as U.S. President
Barack Obama during his presidential campaign last year, and as
a source of raw reporting when access is difficult, as seen in
police crackdowns on post-election protests in Iran.
Kim Hyung-o, the National Assembly speaker and a five-term
lawmaker, posted his first Twitter feed on his personal account
(http://twitter.com/hyongo) on June 18.
A self-described "digital speaker" who uses his BlackBerry
smartphone to communicate with Internet audiences, Kim is
representative of a growing class of tech-savvy politicians
looking to communicate with ordinary voters.
"Unlike other politicians or well-known celebrities, the
speaker not only follows renown Twitter users but many other
ordinary users to read their comments and find out the latest
issues floating around in cyberspace," Shin Hae, the speaker's
aide, said, adding that Kim tries to send out at least one
message a day.
Chung Dong-young, an independent and former opposition
Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate, also created an
account on June 23 (http://twitter.com/coreacdy).
In his latest tweet sent out Wednesday, the veteran blogger
lamented that small private-owned supermarkets were struggling
due to larger, corporate-style chains penetrating smaller
neighborhoods.
Unlike the Assembly speaker, Chung accesses Twitter from his
van via laptop and WiBro, a wireless broadband service,
according to his aide Jeong Jin-hwa.
While not an incumbent, Lee Jae-oh, a former three-term
lawmaker and de facto leader of the biggest pro-President Lee
Myung-bak faction in the ruling Grand National Party, also runs
a Twitter account (http://twitter.com/JaeOhYi).
Having returned to Seoul in late March from a sojourn in the
U.S. after losing the 2007 general election, Lee's latest
Twitter feed blasted the ongoing tug-of-war between rival
parties over a controversial revision to a workers' bill.
Sim Sang-jeong, head of the New Progressive Party, was one
of the earliest politicians to enter the "twittersphere,"
harnessing over 1,000 followers. Others politicians using
Twitter include Kim Yoo-jung and Choi Moon-soon, both members
of the DP, as well as GNP spokeswoman Cho Yoon-sun.
All of the aforementioned Twitter users operate their
accounts separately from their official Web sites.
Some observer say the trend is reminiscent of the heydays of
Cyworld, a local social network service run by SK
Communications Co., which saw a boom in the number of
politicians rushing to create the then-popular "mini homepages"
to connect with the country's growing Internet population.
"I think politicians are taking a cue from the sharp rise in
the popularity which Park Geun-hye enjoyed after she created a
mini homepage on Cyworld back in 2005," said Hwang Sang-min, a
psychology professor at Yonsei University, referring to the
former chairwoman of the GNP and a viable presidential
candidate in the 2012 election.
Watchers say it is only a matter of time before more
politicians flock to the micro-blogging service, given its
rising popularity.
According to a recent survey by Rankey.Com, an online market
research company, monthly on-line traffic originating from
South Korea to Twitter's site grew more than 20-fold between
January-May, climbing from some 301,000 to some 5.62 million.
The popularity is reflected in a recent statement by
President Lee Myung-bak, who said during his recent visit to
Washington that he, too, was considering joining Twitter.
The president is still in the process of deciding whether to
create an account, Kim Cheol-kyun, a communications secretary
at the presidential office, said in a Twitter feed on
Thursday.
But the public response is somewhat lukewarm, with some
warning of a "bandwagoning" craze.
"I hope that leaders and members of any political party
participate in the twittersphere as ordinary citizens without
putting on their politicians' hat," a user with the handle
@revoldaw commented on his Twitter account.
Another user, nicknamed @fromipod, said he was doubtful that
politicians would use Twitter "with a genuine effort to
communicate."
"Nowadays, there is a tendency in the political circle for
politicians to join a hot Internet service to come off as cool
and up-to-date," said Twitter user @woojinjeong.
Some are concerned that Twitter may be used as an "online
political haven" free from restrictions in local portals and
from having to give private information before posting
comments.
South Korea is the only country in the world where Internet
users are required to input their name and resident
registration number, given upon birth, to subscribe to large
Web sites. Many netizens see the requirement as the
government's effort to curtail freedom of expression over the
Internet by making identification a must before posting any
kind of message on the Web.
"Its funny that politicians who created the law to uphold
such requirements are flocking to Twitter for the sake of
communicating. Its somewhat ironic," said Kwak Jae-ho, a
29-year old officer worker.
Given such perceptions, lawmakers' aides say the messages
sent out, even casual ones, are carefully reviewed over and
over to avoid causing any political controversy.
Despite the pessimism, some say that politicians should be
encouraged to reach out to the people and try to win the hearts
of even the most sardonic observers.
"I'm kind of relieved that politicians are embracing the
latest technology to stay connected with their electorates.
Such efforts are what every ideal politician should embrace,
not only the tech-savvy ones," Lee Sang-hyun, a 31-year old
worker in Seoul, said.
(Yonhap) cg
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