Update – Sept. 23, 2009: The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) has now cleared the path for iPhone’s entry into South Korea. In a ruling today, the KCC will allow iPhone to be sold without imposition of special licensing or server location requirements that had previously been under consideration due to iPhone’s mapping capabilities (e.g. location-based services such as “Find my iPhone” and “Google Maps”).
KCC spokesman Lee Tae-hee added some clarification to today’s ruling (via The Korea Times); “The commission has endorsed the local sale of the iPhone and the launch of its service within the limits of the law.” … ”If Apple includes location based-related details as a form of an agreement to its strategic partners such as KT [Korea Telecom], Apple’s iPhone can give location-related services here.”
When might iPhone launch in South Korea? The Korea Times suggests that iPhone will be rolled out in November. However, South Korea’s , citing unnamed KT (Korea Telecom) officials, said KT plans to start selling iPhones in South Korea next month (October). Adding credence to a near term deal/launch is a quote from KT spokesman Yeom Woo-jong: “We will try to release the iPhone as soon as possible.”
More background via > John Paczkowski’s Digital Daily column
Sept. 22, 2009: The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) is expected to finalize a ruling on location-based services (LBS) on smartphones in the next several days. This ruling is reported to be the final hurdle in the path of an iPhone deal between Apple and KT (formerly known as Korea Telecom).
Both KT and SK Telecom remain in the running for an iPhone deal. However, KT may be the first to make a formal announcement. On August 7, 2009, KT CFO Yeon-hak Kim hinted strongly that an iPhone agreement would come soon; “Apple iPhone will be in our smartphone line-up … iPhone will help to expand the smartphone market and will contribute to increasing the ARPU (average revenue per user).”
Background:
In May 2009, iPhone 3G passed Korea Communications (KCC) radio research laboratory testing. More recently (July 12) the iPhone 3GS passed a similar KCC radio testing process. But KCC radio testing/approval is not the final hurdle for iPhone. Telecom regulators in South Korea have been debating the imposition of new licensing requirements for smartphones that provide handset location data (i.e. pinpointing the location of the cellphone). Consequently, current and future location-base services (LBS) may face limitations. One impediment is the state’s requirement for local servers (physically located in South Korea) whenever data is used to track a handset’s location. One counter argument that favors less restrictions on Apple’s smartphone is the fact that location data collected by the iPhone omits personal identification.
According to recent press reports, the KCC will be come to a final decision on iPhone and LBS licensing requirements this week. There is still no clarity as to whether iPhone will be approved without restrictions on LBS such as “Google Maps” and “Find my iPhone.”
D Butterfield, International iPhone for Business Presentation Apple HQ Sept 17, 2009
Brad Cho at VisionArena has jumped out with two reports on introduction of the iPhone in Korea. Worth the read. bit.ly/1q5hG9
The Korea story is a likely sleeper surprise story. Many commentators have failed to point out that there is a good number of iPhone/iPod Touch app developers in Korea unlike other Asian companies. It seems they were quick to jump in the app development race (for English and Korea language apps) and are quite good. I hope the media, Apple and the carriers there start to feature more of them in articles and ads. And they are not all Korean-English dictionary developers; see Jinhee Park’s Eastern Drawing and browser in the App Store and a visit to the top grossing in the Korean App Store is worth a look.
Eastern Drawing is quite unique and adaptable for its ink brush style painting of China, Japan and Korea.
The iPod touch has supposedly already done well in sales terms in Korea. That could drag people from immediately jumping for an iPhone 3GS until it is time to get a new phone. But jump they will.