One thing you’ll notice out here in Korea is a preponderance of tiny, dimly lit “PC Rooms.” In fact, you’d be hard pressed to go more than two blocks without seeing one of these shady little dens filled wall to wall with high-speed computers. Typically these places lack windows, pump out the crappiest techno music ever created, and there’s usually a black light poster somewhere near the front door. So why so many? Maybe it’s because S. Korea is notorious for being addicted to online gaming; sometimes fatally. In fact, the term “Korea Scale” – the definitive psychological measure of internet addiction – owes it’s name the tiny little country. According to Wired Magazine, more than 30 percent of Korean minors are addicted to online games. Combine an incredibly competitive culture, widespread internet access, and bored teenagers, and you could meet a fate like 28 year-old Lee Seung Seop, who according to the BBC, died of exhaustion after playing Starcraft non-stop for nearly 50 hours. Seriously. I thought my addiction to the Word Jumble was bad. Read on for more zaniness
