Government offices and banks have been criticized for forcing the usage of Internet Explorer’s ActiveX. For example, Civil Service 24, a comprehensive civil service portal site provided by the Korean government, requires ActiveX. Some government sites require lower security levels for web browsers. South Korea’s compatibility problem is what Former President Park Geun-Hye pointed out as a concern during the regulatory reform debate.[4]

In particular, customers are directed to international direct-purchase sites to avoid downloading ActiveX or going through an additional 10 steps to complete a transaction.[5] This is because, unlike South Korea, international websites allow customers to pay with one or two clicks.[5]

South Korea is the only country in the world that requires Internet Explorer and requires that online purchases use ActiveX and public certificates.[6] This disrupts domestic shopping malls’ websites.[6] These issues led the country to be criticized as a “message disease” that hinders online shopping.[6]