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Korean mobile telecom carriers are rushing to grab an initiative in the wireless Internet and data market, shifting from the voice- oriented strategy.

The change in the direction of five domestic mobile carriers is based upon the dramatic increase of both the Internet and mobile users in recent months.

According to the Ministry of Information and Communication, the number of mobile users stands at 24 million (which roughly translates into one in every two persons) and that of Internet users hovers over 10 million as of the end of last year.

The increased usage of the Internet and mobile phones is driving the convergence of the two high-tech media, offering a variety of new services such as multimedia contents, stock quotations, online games and wireless e-mail.

Five mobile-phone operators launched their wireless Internet services late last year, staging a massive marketing campaign to woo subscribers into the mobile Internet solutions.

To strengthen digital contents for the wireless transmission, the mobile carriers are busy forming strategic alliances with telecom solution providers and venture firms.

Currently, a majority of mobile handsets are modified for voice- oriented services but new models are targeting the mobile Internet users with large LCD (liquid crystal display) screen and higher transmission speed.

SK Telecom is now promoting its wireless data and Internet service named ``n.TOP'' which is based on WAP (wireless application protocol).

SK Telecom subscribers are able to get hooked up to the Internet and surf simplified websites, specifically designed for the mobile phone use.

KT Freetel, a mobile-phone subsidiary of Korea Telecom, recent revamped its wireless Internet service called ``PersNet.'' PersNet, which is Freetel's flagship fixed-line and mobile portal service, has attracted 500,000 subscribers earlier this month. The company plans to increase its subscriber base to 3.5 million by the end of this year.

LG Telecom, which unveiled the wireless Internet service named ``ez Web'' earlier than its rivals, joined forces with Interpark, an e- commerce solution provider, in a bid to introduce a mobile shopping service through which subscribers can scan product items and make orders instantly.

LG boasts off 200-odd websites on its wireless Internet menu, the largest selection among domestic mobile carriers.

Shinsegi Telecomm forged a strategic alliance with NetiMore, an online promotion agency, to develop a wireless lottery solution.

The mobile firm also decided to cooperate with Nextel, an Internet solution provider, to introduce a mobile geography information service for Shinsegi subscribers.

Unveiling a set of partnerships with solution providers, Shinsegi is promoting its ``itouch 017'' wireless Internet service in an attempt to jack up its mobile Internet users to over 1 million.

Hansol M.Com, a mobile phone operator, and Namo Interactive, a Web editing tool maker, signed an agreement to develop a Web editor for mobile phones last month in order to target wireless Internet users.

The new Web editor will allow users to create and edit their homepages on the go, a solution designed for the convergence of wireless and fixed-line Internet systems.

The alliance between Hansol M.Com and Namo Interactive is expected to usher in other related solutions and a wider usage of mobile Internet and e- commerce programming.

Hansol plans to integrate the Internet languages in the domestic market in concert with Namo, while pushing for the development of a next generation language called ``XML (extensible markup language).