Seoul, Aug 25: Click, Click, Click. That's the way most South Koreans buy and sell stocks now. Helped by one of the world's highest Internet penetration rates, online trading has carved out a record 52 per cent of total turnover on the Korean bourse, from a mere 1.9 per cent in 1998. Trading this way gives many punters an edge over conventional methods of placing orders by telephone, or face-to-face.
"It's easier, faster and cheaper," said Yoon Yong-nam, 38, a former investment banker who spends several hours each day buying and selling stocks on his home computer.

The electronic broking, or e-broking, boom has come after hefty investments in infrastructure by brokerages in the face of stiff labour costs and sharp cuts in commission fees.
It has also been made possible by the rapid spread of the Internet. About 26 million people, nearly 60 per cent of South Korea's 48 million population, were regular Internet users at the end of June.

Koreans, unfazed by the technology, regularly click a mouse to pay taxes, order pizza, buy clothes or even consult a doctor. Bureau Report