Pokemon Go, the newest mobile game from Nintendo has caught the attention of people all over the world. The game was developed by Google-incubated start-up company Niantic Labs and funded by Nintendo and the Pokemon Company. It is an augmented reality smartphone game in which users catch and collect 3D monsters that appear randomly in the real world when their smartphone’s project an image of the creature. While Pokemon Go is currently not available from Korea’s Google Play or Apple App Store, local gamers are able to download the app through foreign accounts. However, when Korean users log on, they encounter a message saying a GPS signal cannot be found. Pokemon Go’s GPS is based on Google Maps, but the Korean government has never provided detailed maps to the American company because of concerns about information leakage, especially the location of military base locations. The South is technically still at war with North Korea, so the government does not want to release full map disclosure. Despite the obstacles, Pokemon Go users in Korea are able to enjoy the game in certain areas of the nation, in particular Gangwon province including Yangyang County, Inje County, Goseong County and the city of Sokcho. With the inclusion of Sokcho, seat reservations on express buses leaving from Seoul’s East Bus Terminal have soared abruptly. Some buses were even completely sold out. On the downside, the Pokemon Go craze is causing serious accidents in other parts of the world. For example, in Guatemala, one teenager was shot dead by a house owner when the teen was seen trespassing on the owner’s land. He had climbed over the surrounding wall in order to capture virtuous creatures. Therefore, for the safety of gamers, other additional consideration and attention are needed.
