Everyone thinks South Korea is a free and unrestrictive place, especially compared with its famous neighbor. But when it comes to Internet access, the authorities restrict people’s activities and stop them from accessing most international resources. That’s why most residents use VPN services.
South Korea’s war on online freedom is ongoing, and no one can predict how it’ll end. As an Internet user, your independence and anonymity are paramount because you want to decide what content you browse and the websites you visit. Take your privacy and security into your own hands using a Virtual Private Network because it can help you escape Internet surveillance.
Here is why you should get a VPN if you’re traveling or moving to South Korea.
The Government Censures the Internet
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It may sound surprising to hear it, considering that South Korea has one of the fastest and most trustworthy broadband internet worldwide. But the authorities filter the content the public access, that for an expat, the information is almost unrecognizable.
The Government blocks most websites that offer information about social and political movements. They also ban any site they consider indecent. You cannot access gambling or pornography websites if you travel to South Korea, and you don’t use a VPN on your device. The private network encrypts your traffic so the Government cannot track your activity.
The Government Practices Internet Surveillance
Censorship and internet surveillance go hand-in-hand. The local regulations allow law enforcement to gather customer information from ISPs, without a warrant. This means they can easily find your name, address, registration numbers, and other personal data they may need to track your activities.
More than once, the Government has been caught spying on residents’ private conversations. South Korea uses SNI technology to break the TLS encryption HTTPS websites use to control the websites people visit.
If you plan to travel to South Korea and you want to maintain your Internet privacy, research what the best VPNs for South Korea are.
Your Online Activity can get you in Jail
In 2018, a South Korean blogger was sentenced to one year in prison for improper online behavior. He posted on social media that he agrees with the North Korean Government, and he believes that Us troops should leave the country.
He’s not the only one to get in jail for expressing his opinions on the Internet. Hundreds of people have been arrested for their blog posts, status updates, or social media posts. A VPN protects you from getting in jail because it masks your IP address and makes you less traceable to the authorities.
VPN helps you Bypass Geo-Restrictions
If you’re a movie enthusiast, you may want to use Netflix to watch international movies, but sadly, for South Korea residents, the streaming platform restricts access to solely national content. When using a VPN, you can make it look like you register into your account from a different country, and you can watch all TV series and movies the streaming platform provides to its international public.