Cyworld
Encyclopedia
Cyworld is a South Korea
n social network service
operated by SK Communications
, a subsidiary of SK Telecom
.
Members cultivate relationships by forming Ilchon ' onMouseout='HidePop("4395")' href="/topics/Hanja">Hanja
: 一寸) or "friendships" with each other through their minihompy.
Avatar
s and "mini-rooms", small, decorate-able, apartment-like spaces in an isometric projection
, also feature. All of this can make for a Sims
-like experience.
The "Cy" in Cyworld could mean "cyber" but is also a pun
on the Korean word for relationship ( 'between').
Revenue is generated through the sale of dotori , or "acorns", which can then be used to purchase virtual good
s, such as background music, pixelated furniture and virtual appliances.
Cyworld also has operations in China
and Vietnam
.
Launched in 1999, Cyworld was purchased by SK Communications
in 2003 and became one of the first companies to profit from the sale of virtual good
s.
Cyworld soon became wildly popular in its home market with 2005 claims that practically every South Korean in their 20s
and 25 percent of the total population of South Korea were users. By 2006 its domestic user-base numbered 19 million, but this had dropped to 18 million by 2008.
Its reception in some overseas markets did not prove as enthusiastic, and by 2010 Cyworld ended its operations in Germany
, Japan
and the United States
. As of 2009, it continues to provide service to the Chinese and Vietnamese markets where it has subscriber bases of seven million and 450,000, respectively.
s and seeking early access to a then-quickly growing market, Cyworld entered the US market in 2006. It shut down in February, 2010.
with a German Deutsche Telekom
subsidiary, T-online, and it launched its European version a year later. But strong competition, including StudiVZ
and Skyrock
, and a saturated
market made for dismal future prospects, and by 2008 it had closed operations.
, and they are used to purchase virtual good
s. Prices vary from about 2 acorns for a wall painting or 6 acorns for a song that plays in your mini-room to 40 and above for a background for your homepage for a year.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
operated by SK Communications
SK Communications
SK Communications is a provider of internet service and web portal Nate in South Korea.In 2003, Nate merged with Cyworld, one of the leading social networking services in South Korea....
, a subsidiary of SK Telecom
SK Telecom
SK Telecom Co., Ltd. or Sunkyoung Telecom is a South Korean wireless telecommunications operator, controlled by the SK Group, one of the country's largest chaebol. As a part of SK Group, SK stands for Sun Kyung.SK Telecom is a provider of mobile service in Korea, with 50.5% of the market share as...
.
Members cultivate relationships by forming Ilchon ' onMouseout='HidePop("4395")' href="/topics/Hanja">Hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
: 一寸) or "friendships" with each other through their minihompy.
Avatar
Avatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
s and "mini-rooms", small, decorate-able, apartment-like spaces in an isometric projection
Isometric projection
Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...
, also feature. All of this can make for a Sims
The Sims
The Sims is a strategic life-simulation computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. Its development was led by game designer Will Wright, also known for developing SimCity...
-like experience.
The "Cy" in Cyworld could mean "cyber" but is also a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on the Korean word for relationship ( 'between').
Revenue is generated through the sale of dotori , or "acorns", which can then be used to purchase virtual good
Virtual good
Virtual goods are non-physical objects purchased for use in online communities or online games. They have no intrinsic value and are intangible by definition....
s, such as background music, pixelated furniture and virtual appliances.
Cyworld also has operations in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
History
SK Communications
SK Communications is a provider of internet service and web portal Nate in South Korea.In 2003, Nate merged with Cyworld, one of the leading social networking services in South Korea....
in 2003 and became one of the first companies to profit from the sale of virtual good
Virtual good
Virtual goods are non-physical objects purchased for use in online communities or online games. They have no intrinsic value and are intangible by definition....
s.
Cyworld soon became wildly popular in its home market with 2005 claims that practically every South Korean in their 20s
and 25 percent of the total population of South Korea were users. By 2006 its domestic user-base numbered 19 million, but this had dropped to 18 million by 2008.
Its reception in some overseas markets did not prove as enthusiastic, and by 2010 Cyworld ended its operations in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of 2009, it continues to provide service to the Chinese and Vietnamese markets where it has subscriber bases of seven million and 450,000, respectively.
Virtual goods
In 2006, 80% of Cyworld's Korean income was generated from the sale of virtual goods.Failed US entrance
Believing that many US teenagers would use multiple social networkSocial network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
s and seeking early access to a then-quickly growing market, Cyworld entered the US market in 2006. It shut down in February, 2010.
Failed European entrance
In 2006, Cyworld entered a joint ventureJoint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
with a German Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom AG is a telecommunications company headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is the largest telecommunications company in Europe....
subsidiary, T-online, and it launched its European version a year later. But strong competition, including StudiVZ
StudiVZ
StudiVZ is a social networking platform for students and is based in Berlin, Germany. The name is an abbreviation of the German expression Studentenverzeichnis, which means students' directory.The service is largely comparable to other social networking sites...
and Skyrock
Skyrock
Skyrock.com is a social networking site offering its members a free web space where they can create a blog, add a profile, and exchange messages with other registered members...
, and a saturated
Market saturation
In economics, "market saturation" is a term used to describe a situation in which a product has become diffused within a market; the actual level of saturation can depend on consumer purchasing power; as well as competition, prices, and technology....
market made for dismal future prospects, and by 2008 it had closed operations.
NateOn
Cyworld collaborates with NateOn, a widely used instant messenger service in Korea. If Cyworld users buy fonts with dotori in Cyworld, they can use those with NateOn, too.Dotori
Cyworld uses its own virtual currency called dotori , or "acorns". One dotori costs 100 wonSouth Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...
, and they are used to purchase virtual good
Virtual good
Virtual goods are non-physical objects purchased for use in online communities or online games. They have no intrinsic value and are intangible by definition....
s. Prices vary from about 2 acorns for a wall painting or 6 acorns for a song that plays in your mini-room to 40 and above for a background for your homepage for a year.
Effect on Internet culture
Cyworld had a big effect on Korea’s Internet culture. Many renowned Korean socialites and celebrities possess Cyworld accounts.In the media
In 2006, Cyworld received the Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Award for being an organization that has made the best use of IT for transformation.External links
- Cyworld Official Websites: (South Korea / China / Vietnam / Global)