Pokemon Go hunters crowd Sokcho
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2016/07/134_209421.htmlexcerptThe popularity of "Pokemon Go" is exploding in North America and Oceania, drawing anxious anticipation from Asian and European countries where the augmented reality (AR)-based mobile game is not yet available.
On the back of the huge fan base of Japan's "Pokemon" franchise, the game is a sensation especially in the United States. In the game, which is based not only on AR but also real-time geospatial technologies and Google's map data, users interact with both real and virtual objects depicted in the physical world to search for possible locations of collectible monsters.
Though the game is not officially provided in most parts of Korea, it has been available in some remote regions including Sokcho, Yangyang, Goseong and Inje in Gangwon Province as well as Ulleungdo as they are interstitially located between the two Koreas and Japan.
In particular, those who seek to play it in Korea are rushing to Sokcho, causing an unexpected tourism boom in the region.
The game is not likely to see a release in South Korea because it does not allow Google Maps to have really accurate data due to national security concerns.
