Deepening Monopoly
Last year, Microsoft, Google, and Apple were found to monopolize ecosystems for computer and mobile devices, and a software ecosystem in the country, including web browsers, using their monopolistic position in the operating system (OS) market.
According to data released by the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning on Feb. 12, monopoly and lock-in effects deepened in the local OS and web browser markets last year.
Microsoft's Windows OS made up 97.76 percent of the Korean PC OS market, Google's Android OS 85.82 percent of the mobile OS market, and Apple's iOS 83.09 percent of the tablet OS market. Apple and Google were in the runner-up position with a 15.26 percent share of the tablet OS market and a 14.14 percent of the mobile OS market, respectively. Nevertheless, the gap between companies in top and runner-up spots in the tablet or mobile OS market was huge.
This kind OS dominance was seen in the web browser market as well. Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which dominates the PC OS, comprised 87.5 percent of the market, despite the controversy surrounding Active X and its security vulnerabilities. Chrome, on the other hand, merely represents 9.26 percent of the web browser market.
The same is true with the mobile browser market. The combined share of Chrome and Android browsers amounted to 84.72 percent. Apple's Safari also accounted for 80.87 percent of the tablet browser market.
An official at KISA said, “Statistics in other countries show that the share of Internet Explore in the Korean PC web browser market has lowered to 74.14 percent, but the number is actually 87.50 percent. The local market is unable to lessen its heavy reliance on Internet Explore as speedily as expected.”