What is noteworthy in relation to the proliferation of new communication medium such as mobile phone is that new medium can make fundamental changes to the process of interpersonal communication, which forms basis of human life. Merely ten years ago, mobile phones were considered as professional necessaries or a symbol for wealth. However, mobile phone market has grown to have 34 million users in recent years. Some studies predict that an estimate of 39.4 million people, which is approximately 81% of the whole population of South Korea, will be using mobile phone by the year of 2008. Moreover, there is a predominant prediction that introduction of new mobile communication media such as satellite and terrestrial DMB, 2.5㎓ frequency band mobile internet, WCDMA, and wireless LANs will bring remarkable changes to the field of human communication. Such predictions indicate that the new mobile services, with more than 30 million users in their hands, will divide the market and in turn cause grand wave of transition in our interpersonal communication field, which is already facing a rapid change. One of the serious problems raised by fast distribution of mobile phones will be '(reckless) use of mobile phones in public places', and it has been a hot potato since few years before, when younger generations started to use their own mobile phones, causing noise pollution and violation of privacy. Such phenomenon, no other than 'privatization of public places' where certain individual claims public place as his/her own, indicates that there is a new threat of social discord at the other side of convenience by mobile phones. Public place is defined as a 'universally accessible neutral territory that is collective, social, pluralistic and inclusive'. These public places are opened to everyone, but their actions are limited, and certain norms should exist within the area for equal possession. But recent phenomenon of self-centered use habit of public place is the counterevidence to inappropriate possession of public places by certain individuals. The purpose of this study is to identify various factors that can influence the uses of mobile phones in public places, as they have become a primary media of interpersonal communication. Research questions of this study are as follows. 〈Q 1〉 How do mobile phone uses in public places differ according to demographic variables, such as age and sex? [Q 1-1] How do power management of the mobile phones differ according to age and sex? [Q 1-2] How do decisions on whether to receive calls or not in the public places differ according to age and sex? [Q 1-3] How do submissiveness to social norms related to uses of mobile phones in public places differ according to age and sex? 〈Q 2〉 How do mobile phone uses differ according to compliance of traditional communication values of our society? 〈Q 3〉 How do mobile phone uses differ according to the affinity to mobile phones? In other words, does mobile phone uses change by the importance of mobile phone in one's life? In order to find answers to these questions, a survey was executed among two age groups, those below 20's and above 40's, with 300 objects in each group. The results of data analysis are as follows: 1. As the objects of the survey are younger, they are more inclined to leave mobile phone turned on, accept calls in public places and have lower receptivity to mobile phone related social norms in public areas. 2. As the objects of the survey are less pliant to conventional communication values of our society, they are more inclined to leave mobile phone turned on, accept calls in public places and have lower receptivity to mobile phone related social norms in public areas. 3. As the objects have lower receptivity to mobile phone related social norms, they are more inclined to leave mobile phone turned on, accept calls in public places and have lower receptivity to mobile phone related social norms in public areas. 4. The objects who make frequent use of mobile phones, are much afraid of loss of contact when the mobile phone is out of service, have little restraint in making unnecessary phone calls, concentrates on their conversation paying no heed to other's attentions, or feel isolated when there are on calls, in other words, those who are in the category of 'speak-easy', have higher tendency to feel on qualms in receiving calls in public places and show comparatively lower submissiveness to mobile phone uses related social norms. Since the onset of the Modern Age, social norm limiting individual behavior to a certain level for the benefit of the majority has been established in the West, which have been illustrated by the history of 'silence in public places' shows great example for such. Owing to the rapid expansion of the use of mobile phones, more and more youths are inclined to satisfy their own desire for utter privacy in communication by making most of such merits of mobile phones as individuality and mobility while paying little heed to social etiquette. Such tendency of younger generations has brought about the break-down of existing norms regulating public domain. Some facet of the said phenomenon could be identified by the data of this study. Thus, the action of those who are willing to use mobile phone 'actively' in public areas could show normless aspect and such normless mobile phone uses have caused antagonism and discord among members of society. To consider this problem as a temporary 'childish mischief, the consequences to come would be too significant. It is especially so in this society where conflict between generations is a major obstacle in social unification. In other words, younger generation's reckless use of mobile phones in public places and older generation's pessimistic view against such behavior could aggravate the discard and complications between generations. Moreover, considering the mobility and individuality of the new media which are expected to bring massive changes to our social communication features, such as WCDMA, terrestrial and satellite DMB, 2.5㎓ frequency band portable internet(WIBRO), this phenomenon can grow to become a serious social threat. In this sense, we conclude that extracting numerous independent variables which can effect uses of mobile phones in public places and examining its influential relationship according to empirical data has sufficient meanings and values in realistic aspect, not to mention its scientific aspect. Therefore, it is our thought that examination of independent variables, such as users' age and sex, their receptiveness to traditional communication values of our society, and affinity which defines relative importance of mobile phone in their lives, can be of extreme value in the sense that it will diagnose current mobile communication situation and provide realistic data on prospect of the future. In addition, by studying the current phenomenon through empirical data, this work may provide basic material in finding solutions to the antagonized situation among young and old generations due to out-of-norm uses of mobile phones. This is so because the first step in extracting solutions to all social conflicts is to openly admit the cause of such conflicts, and clarify the phenomenon and the reason for it.