Letter From Seoul

Cyworld: It's now a waiting game

Delayed return of S. Korea's pioneering social media platform leaves excited fans frustrated

Chang May Choon
South Korea Correspondent
A screengrab from Cyworld's YouTube video of the new 3D mini room. Cyworld was the first social media platform in South Korea, and possibly the world. At its peak, it boasted 32 million users - more than half of the country's population - and made $1
A screengrab from Cyworld's YouTube video of the new 3D mini room. Cyworld was the first social media platform in South Korea, and possibly the world. At its peak, it boasted 32 million users - more than half of the country's population - and made $177,000 a day selling digital products. A screengrab of actress Kim Hee-sun's minihompy - mini homepage - on Cyworld back in 2007, when she was in love with the man she would later marry, and decorated the page with hearts and messages of love. PHOTO: CYWORLD PHOTO: CYWORLD/YOUTUBE
A screengrab from Cyworld's YouTube video of the new 3D mini room. Cyworld was the first social media platform in South Korea, and possibly the world. At its peak, it boasted 32 million users - more than half of the country's population - and made $1
A screengrab from Cyworld's YouTube video of the new 3D mini room. Cyworld was the first social media platform in South Korea, and possibly the world. At its peak, it boasted 32 million users - more than half of the country's population - and made $177,000 a day selling digital products. A screengrab of actress Kim Hee-sun's minihompy - mini homepage - on Cyworld back in 2007, when she was in love with the man she would later marry, and decorated the page with hearts and messages of love. PHOTO: CYWORLD PHOTO: CYWORLD/YOUTUBE
Updated
Jul 11, 2021, 05:00 AM
Published
Jul 11, 2021, 05:00 AM
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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on July 11, 2021, with the headline Cyworld: It's now a waiting game. Subscribe

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