Internet cafes, known as PC Bangs, are ubiquitous in South Korean cities. They're similar to British and American internet cafes, but most cater more to online game playing for the younger generation of Koreans. On average, use of a PC Bang computer is priced at around 1,000 Won per hour (about 80 cents USD). Lately, however, the popularity of the PC Bang has dwindled, mostly due to the abundance of broadband internet connections in Korea.

In Korean, "Bang" (방) means room, so the term literally means a room or place for a PC. The meaning room is not exactly accurate; see Bang. Since January 2005, the main prosecutor's office in Seoul has issued arrest warrants for about 100 people charged with spreading obscene material under South Korea's telecommunications law, a crime carrying penalties of up to a year in jail or a nearly $10,000 fine.

See also

• South Korea
• Contemporary culture of South Korea
• List of Korea-related topics

External link

• http://english.kangnam.seoul.kr/live/comms/internet.htm#Cafes
• http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.08/korea.html
• http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=672294&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312