Annyeonghaseyo! Says Twitter

Twitter is set on expanding its local presence in South Korea in a bid to capture a wider share of the fast-rising micro-blogging market. "South Korea's depth of Internet penetration and online population makes it one of the most important markets," said Othman Laraki, vice president of growth, international and revenue, to a group of reporters at a press conference. The company is reportedly eyeing partnerships with the likes of Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, two of the country's largest digital players, as well Daum Corp and LG Uplus, major Korean internet entities. The move isn't surprising. With the "Gangnam Style" by pop artist Psy going viral online, Korea proves that its social media strength has enough power to capture a global audience. Twitter established its Korean office (and a Korean-language service) in 2011 and now plans to expand its local network by recruiting more staff. The social media giant is said to be focusing on six major areas of business into which it will seek partnerships, including handset makers, mobile carriers, media entities and celebrities and talent agencies. Twitter says a Korean-language version of 'Trends' will be launched soon, as well as a dedicated hashtag that will support the South Korean presidential elections scheduled for December 2012.