The service's popularity has meant opportunity for some members. Kim Hyoung Gon, 25, won Cyworld fame by posting recipes with photographs of dishes on his home page -- and then won a deal to write a cookbook. Kang Hee Jae, 31, quit her job and opened her own online shopping site after the collection of dolls and clothes she showed on her page drew 2.7 million visitors.
So is Cyworld a sign of things to come in other countries? Companies such as MySpace, which was recently bought by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. (NWS), are busily trying to create similar virtual societies in the U. S. and elsewhere. And SK execs are hoping to repeat their success in other parts of the world. They plan to launch customized versions in Japan, China, Taiwan, and the U.S. by yearend. Is your avatar ready?