Introduction

According to recent statistics, almost half of the entire South Korean population, which exceeds 40 million, use a mobile phone (see table 5.1). Considering that the expression “mobile phone,” which is usually called a “hand phone” in Korea, was quite unfamiliar to most Koreans until a few years ago, the rapid diffusion of the cellular technology and its quick adoption are certainly an interesting phenomenon.

The popularity of mobile phones in Korea is most evident among young people and males (tables 5.2 and 5.3). Seven out of ten college students who are taking my courses always bring a phone to class, forcing me to continually ask them to turn it off. To enforce this rule, I even devised a penalty. The offender must sing a song in front of the class, if his or her phone rings during class.

Young people's enthusiastic adoption of cellular phones is also evident in Japan. According to a recent newspaper report entitled “Cell Phone as Teen Talisman,” teenagers spend 20% of their allowance or expendable income on cellular phone bills, in a country where two out of five use mobile phones (Yomiuri Shimbun, 1999).

The introduction of mobile communication technology will undoubtedly affect traditional patterns of social interaction. History shows that new communication technologies, such as the telephone, television, computer, etc., have brought about social and cultural changes.