Internet Explorer Tombstone Is Viral In South Korea, Impact Of Closing Favorite Applications

JAKARTA - For Jung Ki-young, a South Korean software engineer, Microsoft Corp's decision to shut down the Internet Explorer web browser marks the end of a quarter-century of love-hate relationship with technology.

To commemorate his death, he spent a month and 430,000 won (Rp 4.8 million) designing and ordering a headstone with the Explorer "e" logo and the tombstone inscription in English: "He is a great tool for downloading other browsers."

After the memorial was exhibited at a cafe run by his brother in the southern city of Gyeongju, the photo of the tombstone went viral.

Microsoft reduced support for the once-ubiquitous Internet Explorer on Wednesday June 5 after 27 years. They are now focusing on the faster browser, Microsoft Edge.

Jung said the warning showed his mixed feelings for the older software, which had played a big role in his work life over the years.

"It sucks, but I'd call it a love-hate relationship because Explorer itself once dominated an era," he told Reuters.

He said he felt it took longer to make sure his websites and online apps worked with Explorer, than with other browsers.

But his customers keep asking him to make sure their websites look good in Explorer, which has remained the default browser in South Korean government offices and many banks for years.

Launched in 1995, Explorer has been the world's leading browser for more than a decade as it is bundled with the Microsoft Windows operating system that comes pre-installed on billions of computers.

However, they began to lose out to Google Chrome in the late 2000s and became the subject of countless internet memes. Even some developers claim that Bowser is sluggish compared to its competitors.

Jung said he meant to make people laugh with the tombstone, but was still surprised by how far the joke went online.

"That's another reason for me to thank Explorer, now for allowing me to make world-class jokes," he said.

"I'm sorry they left, but won't miss it. So his retirement, to me, was a good death," Jung said.