Visit the future while you wait

As the gateway to Korea, Incheon International Airport is increasingly becoming a popular place for companies to display their high-tech gadgets and services. Setting up special “pavilions” within the airport terminal, companies are not only exhibiting their wares but also allowing people to play with them while waiting for their flights. On the third floor of the departure terminal is SK Telecom’s “U-Zone,” where “U” stands for “ubiquitous,” in case you’re interested. The mobile phone service provider has taken the opportunity to bring out nearly everything it sells for “show and tell” and has new services such as digital multimedia broadcasting available on several types of handsets and other mobile devices. There is also an exhibit there of Cyworld, one of the most popular online communities in the country; GXG and its 3-D games played on mobile phones, and Melon, a music streaming and download service. Melon is a paid service, but at U-Zone it’s free. “Impress the foreigners” sometimes seems to be the motto in Korea, and companies exhibiting here say they are aiming at foreigners, hoping that the exhibits will leave an impression with visitors of a tech-savvy Korea. “About 12 million people use the airport on a yearly basis, so it is a wonderful opportunity for us to show not only Koreans, but also foreigners visiting Korea, how advanced we are in information technology,” an SK Telecom official said. Near gate 12 is Reigncom’s “iRiver First Class.” Designed to look like the inside of the front cabins of an airplane, the area is equipped with booths that have large, comfortable recliners reminiscent of first-class airplane seats and equipped with iRiver multimedia and MP3 players. At no cost, bored travelers can listen to music or watch videos. Though only about 150 square meters (179 square yards) in floor area, the glassed-off section is eye-catching because of its sleek design and bright red interior trimming. Although the information-technology promotion pavilions have a commercial purpose, they also complement Incheon Airport’s efforts to give airport users more things to do inside the facilities. There was only one such promotional site at the time the airport opened, but now there are five. “The pavilions enhance the modern ambiance of the airport’s architecture and help make the airport more than a mere transportation base,” said Kang Pan-seok, an official at the Incheon International Airport Corporation. High-speed Internet service providers are also flaunting their services. KT has several Nespot zones where people can use wireless Internet connections, with pre-paid cards available for those who are not subscribers to Nespot. Likewise, Dacom has its “Airlan” zones available with wideband Internet access. Yahoo Korea is also there, providing Internet access powered by Hewlett-Packard. In addition to those high-tech services, waiting areas in the airport are dotted with Samsung and LG displays, usually showcasing DVD players or other home theater media units. People watching TV will find it hard to miss the large logos scrawled beneath or above the huge flat screens. “In addition to advertising on luggage carts or wall hangings, displaying actual products is becoming a more popular form of promotion,” said LG Electronics’ Han Seung-heon. by Wohn Dong-hee