Koreans flock to Sokcho for Pokemon Go
During the sweltering summer days in Korea a treat like no other involves going to the beach. Sokcho, awaits. It lays on the Eastern side of Korea, a sleepy coastal town where you can grab a beach towel, lay out on the sand, sip icy drinks, and take s cool dip in the sea. You can still do all that but now hordes of Koreans flock to Sokcho for Pokemon Go, glued to their smart phones, eyes reflecting shiny phone screens, surrounding you like a Pokemon Walking Dead mash up.
How did this happen? A series of rhombus shaped dead zones blanket the nation which bars anyone who has downloaded the game onto their phone from playing. Once you log on you see endless fields of green along with your very lonely avatar with nary a Pokemon in sight to hunt down and capture. It looks like this:
South Korea’s government, due to the ongoing status of war with the North, has completely zoned out Google Maps from accessing GPS data in the country. Yet, don’t despair, because Sokcho has become the salvation for desperate hunters needing to mainline a GPS signal for some Pokemon love. You see, Sokcho and the surrounding area lays just outside the dead zone. It’s a tiny corner of the country free from the tyranny of unreasonable protectionism and so has become the holy land for Pokemon Go players in South Korea.
Now, this spells an economic boom for Sokcho. Everyone from the mayor to local business have rolled out the welcome mat for incoming players. Opening more Wi-Fi spots, charging stations to keep batteries going, and plenty of places to find water to stay hydrated aims at making their new visitors extra comfortable. It’s so popular that finding a room may probe to be a bit difficult as hotels, pensions, and even listings on AirBnB have been disappearing fast. Even if you find a room to rent the prices have skyrocketed. Check it out:
Such a state cannot stand. So, the developer of Pokemon Go, Niantic, and Google have asked for access to the map data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, but a ruling will not come until August 25th. So, until then, millions of players in South Korea cannot play the game freely unless they head to the Sokcho area.
