Employment Effects of Mobile Broadband Boom in Korea

An article in The Korea Times caught my eye this morning.  Entitled "Mobile boom proving as economic catalyst?" it offered some details about the impact of the current mobile broadband boom and "smartphone shock," on employment patterns in South Korea.  In particular, government figures show that the number of creative one-person enterprises in the country increased sharply last year on the strength of the explosion in internet devices and content.  According to the Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA), the nation's one-man enterprises reached 235,000 in 2010, up 15.7 percent from the preceding year, and the number accounts for about 1 percent of the economically active population.
The number of people who want to develop applications has been on the increase, said an instructor at a local information technology educational institution, which offers an education service on applications. Reportedly, those who are familiar with computer programming can develop an application after a one-month course.
The government report also said that more than 60 percent of those who established one-man creative enterprises had earned bachelor's degrees or higher academic qualifications.