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Sep. 24, 2009

South Korea's telecom regulator said late yesterday that Apple now has the green light to start selling its iPhone in the country. This could potentially shake up a mobile phone market controlled mostly by domestic manufacturers such as Samsung and a few others.

This development comes five weeks after Apple cleared its way to enter China's massive cell phone market.

As part of its proposed deal with wireless carrier China Unicom, Apple is now expected to begin selling the phone in China as well. Apple didn't provide specifics, but hinted that it would be in the fourth quarter, most probably in mid-October.

The introduction of the iPhone has been widely anticipated in South Korea, where the wireless handset market is mostly dominated by Samsung, LG Electronics and other South Korean makers.

Apple spokesman Steve Park said the company had no comment on the commission's decision and added that nothing was decided or planned on the iPhone's release in South Korea.

On Sep. 22, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) approved the sale of the device at a meeting attended by its five commissioners, said spokesman Lee Sang-hun.

But local service providers said they are in talks with Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple regarding the iPhone.

According to Apple's website, the iPhone is available in almost ninety countries or territories.

"We will try our best to release the iPhone as soon as possible," said Yeom Woo-jong, a spokesman for KT Corp. South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing KT officials it did not identify, said the company plans to start selling iPhones in South Korea around October 8.

Lauren Kim, a spokeswoman for SK Telecom Co., also said her company was in discussions with Apple. South Korean law requires companies that provide so-called location-based services — such as the maps and directions on the iPhone — to obtain government permission, said Oh Sang-jin, director of the Korea Communications Commission's privacy protection and ethics division.

The KCC decided that to facilitate the iPhone's entry to South Korea, local telecommunication service providers can obtain permission on Apple's behalf.

The commission sought a "flexible way to apply Korean law to Apple's case," Oh said.

Some wireless industry observers are now saying that Apple might soon start looking at other markets in Asia and in the Pacific Rim.

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Source: Apple.