Pokemon Go in Korea (and General Gaming Issues in Korea)

Not really something I would usually write about, but since it concerns Korea, might as well!

With July, the release month of Pokemon Go, coming around, the whole world has been exploding with Pokemon Go hype.

After word that the game was officially released, many Koreans and Korean expats (my friends and I included) rushed to download the long-awaited game. I tried twice, through the Australian app store and the US app store. However, we were met with a cruel welcoming -- no Pokemon, no gyms, no nothing around us. Nada. Zilch.

I knew server games tended to be glitchy upon release, so I didn't stress too much about it. I retried, reinstalling the app and signing up about 6 times. Nothing changed.

At the most, I could catch my starter and go through the lengthy monologue of the newest professor-whose-name-I-can't-remember. I'd spend about 20 minutes each time deciding on a cool name, only to get it denied. I was pretty sure no one was named Picklemaster, but whatever. I'd try again and get past catching my starter, only to end up not being able to do anything afterwards.

Korean forum members wondering why Pokemon Go doesn't work

There are NO Pokemon around the vicinity of South Korea (aside from MAYBE a few in Seoul, speculated from Reddit and a few Korean forums) and like Niantic Labs's other game, Ingress, there are no road maps. Nearly every other country does. Why is this?

Expectations VS Reality

Well, long outdated Korean anti-map-rendering policies interfere with the game's need to scan out roads for gameplay. They were put in place to combat the fear of increasing Korea's vulnerability to infiltration by enemy countries (North Korea ). This is the reason why even Google Maps does not work here. Even on regulated maps, many important installations/landmarks are blurred or edited over even though they should be visible. Google, the parent company of Niantic Labs, has been pushing for access to release road maps for its own apps for a while, and efforts have been unsuccessful. This means that if you had access, you could probably play Ingress and Pokemon Go properly in North Korea, but not in South Korea. 

While South Korea is now popularly known as the pro-gaming capital of the world, there are more restrictions affecting the country's gaming than many other developed countries. For example: to even begin playing a game, you need to register your national identification number and card online so they can keep track of you; especially if you are underage (look up "Cinderella Law"). Gaming addiction here is seen as a real problem, akin to alcoholism and drug addictions. There are even gaming rehabilitation centers here. Watch the documentary by VICE to learn more.

Because there is no true grounding for how the government should act, there are many silly laws in place to temporarily "take care"of short-term problems (in the eyes of the President and the government) like gaming. Even now, strict government regulations are ruining the lucrative Korean gaming industry: the types of games being created and published are regulated and restricted.

Korea is a fantastic country and all, but it really needs a better way to deal with contemporary social and privacy issues so I can play my damn Pokemon Go.

But for now, I can't even log-on, so maybe it's a good thing I can't play :)