South Korea may be one of the most wired countries in the world, but it's also one of the most frustrating places to buy anything online.

That's because of government regulations that critics say have hamstrung e-commerce in a wealthy country where smartphones and high-speed broadband are pervasive.

The trouble is ActiveX, a Microsoft -developed set of software add-ons that dates to the mid-1990s. Years ago, the Korean government mandated that users install ActiveX controls and receive an online authentication certificate before conducting any online transactions.

For most people, doing anything from buying a movie ticket to accessing a bank account online means first wading through a gauntlet of security questions before turning over one's government registration number and credit card details. For users of Apple computers and any Web browser that isn't Windows' Internet Explorer, tough luck.

But deliverance may soon be at hand--for Korea's shoppers and online retailers.