Selfie sticks could bring jail time in South Korea

Seoul

THAT selfie stick in your hand. A harmless memory-maker? Or a potentially chaos-inducing electromagnetic radiation emitter? In South Korea, it seems, it could be both - and anyone selling an unregistered version could face a US$27,000 fine or up to three years in prison, the Science Ministry announced last week.

Regulating the sale of these small, articulated monopods designed for cellphone-wielding photographers will not be easy, given their numbers. South Koreans have embraced the technology with a passion, turning scenic spots into undulating fields of waving selfie sticks and grinning, upturned faces.