Currently, the latest web standards recommend HTML5 as the official programming language for the World Wide Web, a decision made by the international web standards organization the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in 2014. (Image: Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, April 12 (Korea Bizwire) – Only five in 10 South Korean internet users are ready to adopt web standards, guidelines for web technology and design that promote best practices for using and building web sites, a new report revealed.
A report released yesterday on South Korea’s internet environment by the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) showed that websites built using old technology and the continuous use of out-of-date internet browsers that are not in line with current guidelines contributed to placing South Korea behind other countries when it comes to adopting web standards.
Currently, the latest web standards recommend HTML5 as the official programming language for the World Wide Web, a decision made by the international web standards organization the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in 2014.
However, while the international average receptivity rate to HTML5 was estimated at around 80 percent, the latest KISA report revealed that just half of South Koreans are using internet browsers that can accommodate online content made with the latest version of HTML.
The KISA measured the readiness of South Korean web users for HTML5 by assessing the popularity of the most-used internet browsers in the country and their compatibility with web content made with HTML5, including pictures, graphics and videos.
Though the figures improved slightly from last year’s, the 31 percent gap with the international average of 85.48 percent is an indication that South Korea has a long way go to in keeping up to date with the latest internet technology.
Experts suspect the main culprit for the lag between the South Korean web and that in other countries is a distinct preference among South Koreans for older versions of Internet Explorer, where online content made with HTML5 doesn’t show smoothly. (Image courtesy of Christiaan Colen/Flickr)
Experts suspect the main culprit for the lag between the South Korean web and that in other countries is a distinct preference among South Koreans for older versions of Internet Explorer, where online content made with HTML5 doesn’t show smoothly.
Nearly 97 percent of desktop users were found to be using MS Windows as their operating system, among which around 86 percent used Internet Explorer as their main internet browser.
Among smartphone users, Android dominated the market with Apple’s iOS following behind with a significant gap of nearly 50 percent.
Almost all Android users used Chrome, while a similar majority of Apple users preferred Safari.
The report was conducted based on data gathered from visitors to a number of major South Korean websites last November.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
