Regulators to Allow iPhone 4 in South Korea

[Michael Essany]

Last Friday's international iPhone 4 invasion took hold in a wide array of countries that were every bit as eager to welcome the 4th generation updated Apple smartphone as the executives at Apple were to introduce it to so many new and potentially lucrative markets. On July 30th, the iPhone 4 reached Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. And while many other countries are slated to receive the iPhone 4 before the end of 2010, one prominent marketplace has finally given Apple the green light to complete its most recent iPhone 4 international roll out.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting this morning that South Korea's stringent regulatory body has finally authorized the sale of the iPhone 4 in South Korea after a controversial but not necessarily unexpected move last month to delay the product's arrival while it underwent robust testing. Although South Korea typically doesn't come to mind when contemplating lucrative Apple product releases, the iPhone 3GS, for example, has already sold 840,000 units since only last November when it finally went on sale in South Korea, which is teeming with 45 million mobile phone users within a population of 49 million.

On Tuesday, the Korea Communications Commission formally announced in a statement that the Radio Research Agency "reviewed all the related documents submitted by Apple on July 29 and no major technical problems were found with the device." Quick to capitalize on the green light, Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison added: "Our customers have made the iPhone the top-selling smartphone in Korea, and we're working very hard to bring them iPhone 4 as soon as possible."

Wall Street Journal

[ipod touch u]

congrats

[Bluemoldycheeze88]

Bleh more iPhone 4's... When will we see a white one?

[tudtran]

It iPhone can get into china. I will be impress.

[Overdozze]

It's bad news for customers like me who purchased 3rd gen iPhone just last year(it came soooooooooo late) and now 4G is coming. sad

[awesomeSlayer]

I bet South Koreans are happy.

[whereswaldo]

The iPhone 4 is edging closer and closer to a Chinese invasion. First Japan, now South Korea, is North Korea next?

I bet South Koreans are happy.

[macsoldier]

Nice, I wonder if there is going to be a major price difference?

[Joseph_Prophet]

It iPhone can get into china. I will be impress.

it already has thats old news, now what should impress you is if it can get into North Korea.

[KartRacer]

(But but but, when's the unlock going to get released?!?)

This is awesome, been to South Korea three times and I'm happy for them they get to share our joy that is the iPhone 4.

it already has thats old news, now what should impress you is if it can get into North Korea.

That's easy, getting back out is the hard part! 

[LSZ33]

I'm in south korea now and I'm pretty sure it'll sell well here. Wonder if they'll release the iPad here as well. Prices here in Seoul are very steep. For us Americans here, they try to sell us the 3GS with a 2 yr contract for $699/$799 respectfully for the 16 & 32 GB models. I had my iPhone 4 mailed in and it's funny to see the look on their faces when they notice I have the iPhone 4.

[santacruzlocal]

Nobody cares ... ???

[gimpy]

hello LSZ33, i hope you don't mind if i ask you a few basic questions about the iphone4 and its functionality in korea.
my spouse is working in seoul at the moment and she was thinking about buying the iphone4 there. anticipating that she could also use the same phone in canada. is that possible? we are trying to avoid buying two phones.

thanks in advance!

ps/ i realize you're not from canada. but this is the best search i found on the www.