Korean operator, KTF, confident to bring iPhone to Korea. KTF plans to sell iPhone by next year. “We want to (sell it in Korea), but Steve Jobs has been playing hard (in the negotiation),” said Kim Yeon-hak, executive vice president.

“It’s difficult (to win the contract) because the size of the Korean market is small. But someday we will do it, using our relationship with NTT DoCoMo,” added Kim. NTT DoCoMo is the second largest shareholder of KTF with a 10.31 percent share. The main shareholder is KT.

Throughout the year, KTF has been openly wanting to get the exclusive rights to service the iPhone on its network. In August, KTF’s chief executive officer Cho Young-chu said that he was waiting for the decision of Jobs, the founder and CEO of Apple.

Korea’s regulations on telecom devices are another hurdle for iPhone’s local debut. The government enforces mobile phones to carry a Korean-developed software platform called WIPI. Technical difficulties in making phones work on the WIPI system has frustrated other major foreign makers in selling their products in Korea.

Source: Korea Times

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 Print Posted by Amir Karimuddin on December 27th, 2007