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South Korean Gov't. Advocates Linux

Posted by timothy on from the alternatives-are-worse dept.

Anonymous Coward writes "Korea has now taken the plunge on the Linux operating system, and is now starting to advocate Linux for use in government and public sector applications. South Korea's Ministry of Information and Communications announced the move today, which will result in decreased Microsoft market share in the region." According to the article, Korea's Ministry of Information and Communication "will provide a total of 3 billion won (US$2.95 million) for government agencies which want to use the Linux and other open-source computer programs this year."

52 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. US in trouble ? by mirko · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Last month, they converted some of their assets in dollars, now they are getting away from USA's most fortunate software company ?
    Is there some policy here ?

    --
    Trolling using another account since 2005.
    1. Re:US in trouble ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well, both the US$ and MS are becoming less competitive.

    2. Re:US in trouble ? by mirko · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Oops, I meant not in but from Dollars to Euros.
      And no, it was not meant to be a flamebait but just a question.

      --
      Trolling using another account since 2005.
    3. Re:US in trouble ? by gt_swagger · · Score: 5, Insightful
      If anybody is in trouble it is Microsoft. Aside from a FUD campaign, they have done nothing but encourage Linux growth with their strong apathy towards the end user they so often crap upon and insistance of keeping a brutal EULA and locking their users into a product cycle.

      Microsoft is failing to compete, and thus their market shares are declining. It's simple buisness here. What... do you want them to get a federal subsidy? Those poor innocent submarine patent people...

      --
      The Peanut Gallery, Ubergeek, Biblically Sober
      NCAAbbs.com: Thousands of fans, Hundreds of teams, Just one place
    4. Re:US in trouble ? by dabigpaybackski · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Last month, they converted some of their assets in dollars, now they are getting away from USA's most fortunate software company ? Is there some policy here ?

      Yes, I believe it was once known as "enlightened self-interest."

      --
      "OH SHIT, THERE'S A HORSE IN THE HOSPITAL!"
    5. Re:US in trouble ? by mirko · · Score: 2

      Excuse me, Herr 99, but I thought it was IBM whose assets are much more important than Microsoft.
      Of course, they're more R&D than Microsoft (who also produce hardware - consoles, mice) but I guess very few companies that size would only rely on software.

      --
      Trolling using another account since 2005.
    6. Re:US in trouble ? by RoLi · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The USA cannot maintain an enormous trade deficit forever, so the devaluation of the dollar is just a matter of time.

    7. Re:US in trouble ? by tomhudson · · Score: 3, Informative
      Yeah, but don't forget, in a Microweenie's Windows World, IBM stands for "I Buy Microsoft", a.k.a. "I'm Buggered by Microsoft"
      Body count:
      IBM: 329,001
      MSFT: 57,000
      ... or annual revenues ...
      IBM: $96,290,000,000.00
      MSFT:$37,470,000,000,00
  2. So now the North will use Microsoft? :-) by BerntB · · Score: 5, Funny
    I guess this means North Korea will have to use Microsoft?

    A marriage born in... well, never mind. :-)

    --
    Karma: Excellent (My Karma? I wish...:-( )
    1. Re:So now the North will use Microsoft? :-) by taj · · Score: 2, Interesting



      "I guess this means North Korea will have to use Microsoft?"

      http://www.paulnoll.com/Korea/History/Korean-night .html

      You can already see the difference between Microsoft in North Korea and Linux Sourth Korea.

    2. Re:So now the North will use Microsoft? :-) by Alsee · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I find this image far more impressive, though it does have the "problem" that people actually need to be able to locate North and South Korea on a globe.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  3. Way cool by Dorsai65 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Now to get a few more governments to see the light!

    --
    --- Asking inconvenient questions for over 30 years...
  4. Take note "Monkey Boy!" by bogaboga · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oh, I hope my man Ballmer is awake. He should grab his bags and prepare to leave for Korea. We surely live in interesting times don't we?

    1. Re:Take note "Monkey Boy!" by FidelCatsro · · Score: 4, Funny

      I now have this image of the Ballmer stomping around shouting
      "KOREANS ,KOREANS ,KOREANS ,KOREANS ,KOREANS ,..KOREANS ,KOREANS ,KOREANS ,KOREANS ,KOREANS ,KOREANS ,..."
      It is not the most plesant mental image I've ever had .

      --
      The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
  5. They're making a big mistake. by gt_swagger · · Score: 5, Funny

    Didn't they read that report by those two professors that got Microsoft funding about how Linux is plagued by security holes, higher ownership cost, and a swarm of locusts? I hope they can right the ship before it's too late.

    --
    The Peanut Gallery, Ubergeek, Biblically Sober
    NCAAbbs.com: Thousands of fans, Hundreds of teams, Just one place
  6. $2.95 million is a small step by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That 2.95 million dollar figure from the article seems very tiny. Wouldn't be surprised if they still pay orders of magnitude more for proprietary stuff.

    1. Re:$2.95 million is a small step by H8X55 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      2.95 million buys a lot more Linux support than 2.95 million in Microsoft. The portion of money that would have paid for licensing can paid to developers, technicians, trainers. They can use this money instead of just earmarking it for Redmond.

      In reality 3 mil is a small amount to 'test' Linux in the 'real world' and see how it goes. My guess, in years to come, judging the strong technology climate in SKorea there will be even more funding to switch from MS to Linux in even more government agencies.

    2. Re:$2.95 million is a small step by RoLi · · Score: 2, Interesting
      What more do you want?

      Of course it will be impossible to completely rot out Windows in all South Korea, but Microsoft has very good reason to be worried.

  7. The best way to get discounts from Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting
    It's probably just a price negotiation tactic.

    Seems the best way to get a price break from Microsoft is to announce that you're advocating Linux.

    I'm shocked at countries that *Don't* use this strategy.

  8. Tactical move by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Next we hear about this is that they have signed a 5-year contract with Microsoft to update all the state administration machines to latest Windows, after long and hard negotiations with M$. The price will not be disclosed.

    1. Re:Tactical move by gt_swagger · · Score: 2, Funny
      Microsoft is like one of these.

      Once you know what it's all about... whenever it's close, you can't resist the temptation to hit the crap out of it. It's theraputic.

      --
      The Peanut Gallery, Ubergeek, Biblically Sober
      NCAAbbs.com: Thousands of fans, Hundreds of teams, Just one place
  9. Re:Damn communists! by KiloByte · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Nah, communism=political monopoly (the "dictatorship of the proletariat"). On the other hand, free software is closely related to free speech, and free speech typically goes together with democracy.

    What they call "people's democracy" is as far from "democracy" as possible. A popular Polish joke says: the difference between democracy and people's democracy is same as those between a chair and an electric chair.

    It doesn't matter whether you're curbing free speech and free market because of extreme left-wing (communist) reasons or of extreme right-wing (religious) ones. The net effect is the same.

    --
    The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
  10. so.. by Turn-X+Alphonse · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Is this because Asia wants to try Linux and thinks it's the best, or is it because of the anti American (And Microsoft is very American) feelings?

    --
    I like muppets.
    1. Re:so.. by houghi · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Is this because Asia wants to try Linux and thinks it's the best, or is it because of the anti American (And Microsoft is very American) feelings?

      No. This can be the resukts of any of three reasons:
      1) They calculated and saw that in the long run Linux is cheaper. Governements look normaly at longer periods.
      2) They want to promote IT development in their own country. This will be good for finances. Instead of sending money out of the country, it stays inside.
      3) They do not want to be dependent on only one company to deliver to them.

      If there is any thought about Nationalities, it will be more pro-themselves then anti-anybody.

      It is just that M$ is the only one having a monopoly (did I really write that?) and they are American. If they were Canadian, English, German or Navaran, they would do the same. It is left to the reader to think if there would have been a monopoly in those cases and if not, why.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  11. Better Yet: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    In Soviet Russia, only Koreans use old Linux applications.

  12. Hear that? by AnyoneEB · · Score: 4, Funny

    That cry of anguish is all the South Koreans trying to get WINE to work so they can play StarCraft. (I have done it, it just took a lot of messing with settings.)

    --
    Centralization breaks the internet.
  13. I wouldn't say Advocates, but the DPRK seems to by millisa · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Just browsed around their site a little bit and I see lotsa positive open source-ish things.

    The Korean Friendship Association USA branch on the DPRK official site uses CMSimple . .which is open source and sits on Apache (though it *could* be run on Win32 or Linux).

    This Trip thing they are talking about here has a bit at the bottom of the page that "This webpage and its images is released to the internet community under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License" (with link). Not a Linux endorsement, but definitely in the right ball park.

    I doubt they'd ever come out and advocate something that isn't homegrown . . . you don't hear much about DPRK linux users, but somehow I bet they are out there since there's lotsa open source type stuff sitting on their primary web presense.

    Or I could be wrong . . . but I'd bet there are some communist linux boxes out there . . .

  14. Americans seeing Anti-Americanism everywhere... by aendeuryu · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Is this because Asia wants to try Linux and thinks it's the best, or is it because of the anti American (And Microsoft is very American) feelings?

    Erm... no. The South Korean government is pretty friendly towards the US compared to other countries, both in Asia and internationally. The population gets a little annoyed with the excesses of some of the soldiers here and the United States government's abrasive approach to North Korea, but that in no way is going to translate to the South Korean government, in a country historically devastated by war that's now more than happy to take slow, gradual steps when it comes to international diplomatic situations. As such, suggesting that Korea is dropping Microsoft as some symbolic slap in the face is a really silly way to look at it. Even if the average young- to middle-aged Korean would like to tell the U.S. where to get off, the government isn't going to. Besides, the average Korean also LOVES their Windows-based games. Linux has very little fame over here.

    If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it has more to do with the fact that a long-term relationship with Microsoft involving Windows XP might seem too expensive for the government. Windows 98 is still the popular OS of choice over here, so if they're worried that dropped W98 support means migrating to either an updated Windows or another OS, it might be worth throwing a few million at Linux to see if it can be adopted on a broad scale.

    As an aside, related to the parent's false dichotomy, why do so many Americans see anti-Americanism everywhere?

    1. Re:Americans seeing Anti-Americanism everywhere... by DarkSarin · · Score: 5, Interesting

      It's interesting that this should come up.

      I am currently in a cross-cultural psychology course (of sorts), and we had a guest speaker speaking about France and why some folks think that the French hate Americans.

      His take was simple--Americans and French are the only two cultures that think their culture is the best and want to impose it (in some fashion) on everyone else. Naturally then, like any time you have two folks who think they are the best, bar none, us Americans have butted heads with the French.

      I'm not saying that I agree, but I suspect that he has some of that right. (As an aside, he is an American that has spent a number of years in France--and got his PhD in French Medieval Literature from a French University (not the Sorbonne, although he did spend time there, and occasionally lectures there) that I can't remember the name of (and couldn't pronounce when he told us, let alone spell!).

      Now, since we have strayed so far off topic, let me just say that I hope that every country wakes up and sees that the smartest way to run things is on software that they have the source for and can modify themselves. A small business can get away with relying on someonw else to write their software (especially the OS), but a gov't has the resources and the time do it right themselves, and they should. Why? Because of security concerns. I wouldn't trust confidential data of the sort that most gov'ts keep to a host of proprietary OS boxen. (Never mind that they shouldn't be keeping some of the data--that is a different debate).

      --
      "We don't know what we are doing, but we are doing it very carefully,..." Wherry, R.J. Personnel Psychology (1995)
  15. (maybe) Sort of old news by ihavnoid · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually, KIPA (Korea IT Industry Promotion Agency), an organization funded by the Korean government, switched all its desktops to Linux, and that news was around about 8 months ago. I remember, that the purpose KIPA switched all its desktop to Linux (around 100+ desktops), was to test the possibility of Linux desktop in Korean goverment agencies. The biggest problem of using Linux in government agencies, was the vast amount of in-house tools plus special applications that didn't exist for Linux, and staff training issues. I remeber a KIPA staff screaming for help on a LUG webboard, due to l10n issues. They seemed to have some problem because of inadequate Korean support in Linux.

    Something that may be ironic, is that KIPA's current president, Hyun Jin Ko, is the former president of Microsoft Korea. :)

    1. Re:(maybe) Sort of old news by ihavnoid · · Score: 2, Informative

      > Former? Was he fired? This might be his revenge? ;-)

      No. He wasn't fired. He simply resigned, and joined KIPA. Since Microsoft Korea was in good shape while he was the president, I don't think there were any reason to fire him.

      Actually, many Korean software corporations were getting nuts when the announcementnt was made that Ko was designated be the new KIPA president, since most of them expected that MS was behind this move, and the government will become more and more MS friendly. (Actually I expected this to happen, too.)

      Some more google search showed that before working for Microsoft, he also worked for Sun Microsystems Korea and IBM Korea. :)

  16. There is hope! by Walkiry · · Score: 3, Interesting

    High Linux userbase in South Korea woud mean more games ported to Linux. It's the only thing that keeps windows in my machine.

    I want to be freeee!

    --
    ---- Take the Space Quiz!
    1. Re:There is hope! by TeknoHog · · Score: 3, Insightful
      more games ported to Linux. It's the only thing that keeps windows in my machine.

      I want to be freeee!

      Nobody is forcing you to use Windows. You can be MS-free right now, if you want.

      If you like a game that's only available to Windows, you basically have two choices:

      • Harass the makers to release a Linux (or OSX, or whatever) version. If enough people do this, they will release it.
      • If the makers insist on Windows-only releases, why would you want to deal with them in the first place? It means they're in bed with MS.
      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    2. Re:There is hope! by drspliff · · Score: 3, Insightful
      If the makers insist on Windows-only releases, why would you want to deal with them in the first place? It means they're in bed with MS.

      No, it's just because producing a multi-platform game usually increases development time and testing time by at minimum 1.5x.

      The problem is that if you spent another 6 months on a project, the result of that additional 6 months of work isn't always justified by the increased number of sales or larger userbase.

      This is true in almost all areas of multi-platform software development, so your assuption that companies who only release for the Windows platform are in bed with Microsoft is wrong. (Unless it's Valve or Gearbox your talking about..)

  17. Re:Damn communists! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No communism is the utopian society where no state or opression exists of anyone - society of ultimate freedom - wich some people think can be reached by the dictatorship of the proletariat (russia, NK, etc). But others believe in other ways to reach the communist world through a evolutionary process. There has not yet been any country/society that has been communist. All examples many people have (north korea, soviet russia, china, cuba, etc) are in fact not communist only totalitarian states with "goals" to reach the utopian communist society - however, this "goal" is more or less just a smokescreen to make the people happy.

    Soo, free software is pretty much like the communist society where everyone just lives in harmony with eachother - "to each according to need, from each according to ability" - just as OSS. However, free software is nothing like totalitarian dictatoriships, of course, which in turn has nothing to do with a communist society.

  18. Free Software in Korea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    All the links in these used to work.

    Free Software in Korea: Part One -- The Microsoft Connection
    <URL:http://linuxtoday.com/developer/1 999100400105 NWLF/>

    Free Software in Korea: Part Two -- The Linux Side
    <URL:http://linuxtoday.com/developer/1999101 000105 NWLF/>

  19. Last bastion of civilisation by Silver+Sloth · · Score: 2, Informative

    I'm not sure that South Korea is a member of the Axis of Evil. Aren't they our bold friends holding back the commie menace?

    --
    init 11 - for when you need that edge.
  20. Please mod parent: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    * Troll
    * Uninformed
    * Geographically challenged
    * Victim of the US education system

    Thanks.

  21. Re:Damn communists! by the_womble · · Score: 4, Funny
    Aren't the North Koreans the evil communists? Isn't South Korea home to the free market

    Exactly, so:

    • The North Koreans would be happier with something centrally planned and tightly controlled.
    • The South Koreans would see the benefits of consumer choice and appreciate the economic efficiency that results from pricing set by a competitive (i.e. non-monopoly) market

    Incidentally given that the North Koreans have heavily into personality cults, claiming credit for everything, and heavy propaganda they would be a good fit for MS.

  22. Re:this move effect neighbours? by coolcold · · Score: 4, Insightful

    just wanted to point out that it is a crime in the us doesn't mean it also is a crime elsewhere. Don't just think everything in the law is right either since some of them are pushed by parties and are not necessary

    --
    I am harvesting funny/good quotes. Please help by putting them in your sigs :)
  23. Wow... by bmo · · Score: 3, Funny

    All those infringers of SCO intellectual property...

    At $699 per cpu license, Darl McBride must be hopping with joy at the thought of all those Koreans buying SCO IP licenses. Yes indeed, you too can get one of these protection licenses. All you have to do is read the SCO IP website!

    wget -v --mirror www.sco.com/scoip/

    Be sure to download all available information so you can be an informed SCO IP Protection license customer! It would be a shame if you didn't!

    Remember, the command again is wget -v --mirror www.sco.com/scoip/

    Get your documentation and license Today!

    --
    BMO

    "Contracts are what we use against customers" -Darl McBride

  24. Microsoft Anti-piracy move by draxredd · · Score: 4, Funny

    Microsoft has finally come up with a plan to supress Windows piracy in the south-east : Widescale Linux Adoption.

    ;)

    --
    --- Back to the trees, back to the trees !
  25. Nobel by commodoresloat · · Score: 4, Informative
    Dynamite can be used by terrorists, that doesn't tarnish the Noble prize.

    Actually, the Nobel prize was Alfred Nobel's attempt to make up for his regret about the fact that dynamite was used by terrorists and governments in war. Dynamite had plenty of legitimate uses in construction but he was uncomfortable with the uses of it for violence, and gave the fortune that he made in dynamite to the fund for the Nobel prize. So while dynamite doesn't tarnish the Nobel prize, its use by terrorists actually did tarnish Nobel himself (at least in his own mind), and the Nobel prize was sort of a way of redeeming him.

  26. Actually by DarKry · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is an excellent point. I do IT for a company in Ukraine and our problem right now is that this country is starting to come around into the 21st century. Up till now it has always been that piracy is the norm (even for big companies). Everyone here uses windows, all our servers are windows, but I am not sure that the company actually owns a single Windows license. They hired me to try and switch EVERYTHING to linux. We are doing client machines first because thats where the huge costs come in. If they were to actually pay for all the software we are using right now it would bust the company (we are talking more spent on software than on employee salaries). So legitimacy is great and all but its a pain in the ass to switch to legitimacy after the fact. South Korea is probably in the same position, The US is riding them to get legit but the fact of the matter is no one can afford Microsoft's ridiculous costs. Sure its great for US businesses where there are millions just sitting around but in countries where the average person make $400 a year its just not feasable. Bah I will stop ranting and get back to this Gentoo install.

    --
    Crawl This - http://darkry.net/test/test.php
  27. Given that South Korea is one of the most by MerlinTheWizard · · Score: 2, Interesting

    technologically-active and innovative country in today's world, that should say something... and give hope to all of us who think OSS in general is closely linked to technological innovation, freedom and actually more commercial activity overall.

  28. A bit of perspective please by Ricardo · · Score: 2, Informative

    Just so you guys know, South Korea is internet/computer CRAZY! - they love it!. The covereage of broadband there is one of the best in the world. It is the only country to have 2 (yes 2) internet game tv shows - ie where they actually show games happening, and not just review lame games for advertising $$$.
    This is the reflection of a popular culture that has made the population know whats what, and government reacting in a wise and well informed (and not comercially brow beaten) way.

    Also Although South Korea SOUNDS alot like North Korea, can we get over it please?. This is a bit like comparing Alaska with Russia (because they are duhhh close-ish - I think). There is often similar problems discerning Ireland from Northern Island - the first is a country, the second is a region of Britain.

    --
    Move along... there is no sig here.
  29. For the average Korean... by alwsn · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've been teaching in Korea for two years so far and the average Korean could not use Linux productively. The reason being is that almost every web site requires ActiveX to do anything; logon, make purchases, check email. Even on the sites not requiring ActiveX, they look like garbage on anything but IE. One plus is that MS office is not nearly as intrenched as it is in the States with many Koreans preferring a Korea Office suite (I cannot remember the name as I do not use it myself.) And, of course, you cannot play Kart Rider on linux.

    1. Re:For the average Korean... by randalx · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This might be the first step in forcing those websites to drop ActiveX controls and make their sites work well in standards compliant browsers.

  30. Re:Korean Linux by highwind81 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Actually, that website is a very popular (in korea that is) personal homepage of a famous linux lover, Juksu. Sarang.net is the hosting company in which his homepage resides. If you care for a commercial korean linux distro go here (it's in korean). If you want to check out a great Korean linux community site check out the Korean Linux Documentation Project (KLDP).

    --
    ------ http://timothylive.net
  31. Nevermind... by JayJay.br · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...only old people will use Linux anyway.

    In other news, distros will be forced to use KDE. Either that, or they will change the country name to South Gorea.

    /me hides in shame for excessive Slashdot cliche use.

  32. A bit of geography by GWTPict · · Score: 2, Informative
    The UK's full title,

    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

    So Northern Ireland is part of the UK, not a region of Britain. It is of course very close to Ireland, consisting as it does of 6 of the 9 counties of the historic north eastern Irish province of Ulster.

  33. Re:No one's in trouble - business as usual by chris_mahan · · Score: 2, Funny

    Naw man, if you've been dating this girl a while and she lets you bang her once in a while, and you meet this other chick who's a freak in bed and wants to do everything and then some on a daily basis, and you tell your girlfriend (mistake number one) and she puts out a little more for a couple of days hoping to keep you (your money) around a bit longer, and you fall for it (mistake number two) and pass on freak-in-bed's offer of wild, off-the-chart mind-blowing sex; you cannot later complain that your partner's performance, is, hum, adequate at best.

    Same thing with Microsoft. You either put up with their little tantrums, or you just dump them and go on, but you do not play little mind games.

    --

    "Piter, too, is dead."