The use of the Internet among Koreans in their 40s and 50s has surged. According to a survey released on Thursday, 74.9 percent of 40-somethings and 42.9 percent of 50-somethings used the Internet in the second half of 2006, up 6.2 percentage points and 7.2 percentage points from the previous years, respectively.

Among younger people, 98.5 percent of people aged between six and 19 used the Internet, while 98.9 percent of 20-somethings and 94.6 percent of 30-somethings were netizens. In particular, 51.4 percent of children aged between three and five surfed the Internet. As of late last year, 74.8 percent of people older than six years, or 34.12 million, used the Internet, up 2.0 percentage points from the previous year. By gender, 80.7 percent of men and 68.9 percent of women were Internet users, up 2.2 percentage points and 1.7 percentage points on year, respectively.

Some 39.6 percent of Internet users were bloggers running their own blogs. By age, 20-somethings were the most active bloggers, accounting for 68.2 percent of the entire number. Some 17.9 percent of 40-somethings and 13.0 percent of 50-somethings manage their own blogs.

The survey was conducted by the Ministry of Information and Communication, and the National Internet Development Agency.

(englishnews@chosun.com )