Tags : iphone, iphone ban in korea, Korea, korean iphone ban lifted
Korea Lifts Ban On Sale of iPhones
Apple’s iPhone will soon be available in South Korea.
Sale of the phone had been illegal in this country where 93 percent of the population uses mobile technology. By law, phones with location-based services such as “Google Maps” that do not originate in Korea cannot be sold in the country.
The Korea Communications Commission on Wednesday created an exemption to that law, allowing Apple to begin sales.
When that will happen is uncertain. KT, the nation’s second largest mobile provider, is negotiating for exclusive rights to sell the iPhone. KT officials told the Korea Times they hope to have the 3GS model and earlier models ready to sell as early as November.
The Korean government had instituted restrictive laws on cell phones to give the industry time to develop within the country. Two Korean firms, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, now are the number two and number three makers of cell phones worldwide behind Nokia.
The restrictions had prevented smart phones such as the iPhone and Research in Motion’s Blackberry from entering the Korean market.
An exemption approved by the communications commission in December allowed sale of the Blackberry. It can be used on SK Telecom’s network and sold to corporate users.
In August, Apple was allowed to sell the iPhone in China after the company agreed to disable the phone’s Internet capabilities.
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