South Korea's cell-phone industry recently hit a milestone: 40 million subscribers.

About 47 million people live in South Korea, which means 85 percent of the population has cell phones.

The gadgets are an integral part of life in South Korea — and not for just for phoning home. My mother told me a story about a burglar who broke into our family's home in South Korea in the 1960s. The burglar stole the phone — wireless phones were still rare then — thinking that he could make phone calls, not knowing that you needed a phone line as well. South Korea has come a long way since then — it's now considered one of the most wired countries in the world.

Many people young and old use cell phones for entertainment, communication and as an information source. Koreans used to read books while on the subway or train. Nowadays they watch TV on their phones, listen to the radio and their favorite songs, text their friends and play games. We do that here, too. But South Koreans now also use their cell phones to pay bus fares and to buy groceries. Want to ride the train? Simply swipe your phone over a reader in the station and the fare is consolidated on your phone bill.

On a recent trip to South Korea, I was out with a friend, and he paid for our lunch with his credit card. As we were walking out of the restaurant, he got a text message confirming his lunch transaction from his credit card company.

My friend told me that the system is very useful. He had given his wife a credit card, and now he tracks her shopping. And, of course, if you lose your credit card or experience identity theft, you can immediately track the culprit if the person uses your phone.

As in English, Korean has evolved into an abbreviated text-messaging form. For example: instead of typing in Korean "Seoul," which would take two characters, it would be abbreviated into the one-character "sul." Another example is "boyfriend" (nam-ja chin-gu), which takes four characters, shortened to the two-character "nam-chin." The speed with which teens type in their cell phones is dizzying. Some can text with their hand and phone in their pocket for extra privacy. With the competitive phone market in Korea, service providers often offer discount entertainment deals.

Service plans vary, just as in the U.S., but the big difference is that in Korea, your minutes are not charged if you receive calls. You are charged only for making calls. When you watch Korean dramas, take note on just how much the cell phone is a part of everyday life.

THIS WEEK'S K-DRAMA SYNOPSES

'INFAMOUS CHILL SISTERS'

EPISODES 73 AND 74

Tonight at 7: Michill and Ilhan are finally reunited. However, Michill ignores Ilhan's affectionate greeting and tells him she has no intention of getting back together with him. Yangpal takes Myongja out to dinner.

Tonight at 8: Seolchill, Yangpal and Hanam visit Seolchill's biological father's grave. Upon return, Seolchill is touched when she sees her newly decorated room, a gift from Hanam. Michill finds Seolchill's wedding invitation in her bag.

'SURGEON BONG'

EPISODES 13 AND 14

Tomorrow at 7:50 p.m.: Dr. Lee Hyun-tak is surprised by a question about his adopted son at the opening of the cancer center. Concerned with Dal-hee's health, Joong-geun prohibits her from assisting in a difficult surgery.

Tuesday at 7:50 p.m.: Dal-hee suggests a simultaneous surgery to save a pregnant patient and her unborn baby. Dal-hee's condition worsens, and she finds out she might have an infection.

'TO MY LOVE'

EPISODES 3 AND 4

Wednesday at 7:50 p.m.: Tae-ju suspects his younger brother, Chan-ju, took his debit card. Sang-min, Jung-min's older half-brother and an up-and-coming filmmaker, is tapped by his father for a job Suk-ju had hoped would be his.

Thursday at 7:50 p.m.: A superstar actor Suk-ju had hired for a new drama series is injured. Suk-ju accepts a ride to the hospital from Jung-min. Tae-ju realizes that Chan-ju has stolen his money.

'CRAZY FOR LOVE'

EPISODES 3 AND 4

Friday at 7:50 p.m.: After five years in the U.S., Hyeon-cheol returns to work as a pilot for the airline where Jin-young is an engineer. Min-hee, now a flight attendant, is interested in Hyeon-cheol. After working as a valet for a shady parking business, Chae-hun applies for an airplane mechanic job and ends up working under Jin-young.

Saturday at 7:50 p.m.: On the anniversary of Jae-hun's passing, Jin-young goes to the place where his ashes are scattered. She runs into Chae-jun. They share each other's pain over drinks, unaware of their star-crossed fate. A few days later, Chae-jun's tormentor Chung-ho shows up at the airport.