UPDATE: Lots of information posted in the comments section below….

It’s As If Foreigners Aren’t Human in the Korean iPhone World…….

Question: Can foreigners buy the iPhone in Korea?

Answer: Yes, for some of us.

I know the hot topic for us is whether or not foreigners will be able to buy the iPhone in Korea. A lot of us already felt cheated by the fact that we couldn’t even apply to be one of the 1,000 lottery winners to purchase the iPhone this past weekend.

So, I’ve looked all over, and spoke with some reps at KT. This is what they told me:

The Foreigner Guideline

-If you are a foreigner, you need a visa.

-If you have an E-2 visa, you cannot get the iPhone in Korea.

-If you have an F-2 or an F-4 visa, you can get the iPhone in Korea.

Are You Serious?

So, basically, this means if you are a foreigner, you need to be married to a Korean or you need to be a 교포 gyopo. You may have to get creative with one of your Korean friends in order to get the iPhone in Korea.

Some of you may be shaking your head. This may seem unfair, or feel like downright discrimination, but these are the facts.  I’m assuming the reasoning behind this is that since this phone comes with a 2 year contract, they don’t want foreigner iPhone buyers to bail on KT halfway through their contracts.

I’m curious to see if KT will offer perhaps 1 year contracts with a higher purchase price for the iPhone, or maybe the option of just buying the iPhone for 800,000 won upfront.

I know, it sucks.

The first commercial above highlights the video camera/video editing feature of the iPhone (a 3GS exclusive). It shows how easily you can switch from camera to video function, capture a video, edit the video, and send it to a friend in just a few key strokes. Amazing.

The second video shows the “copy paste” function of the iPhone (offered on both the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS). A feature that everyone has wanted for the past 3 years, which Korea gets in its debut this week. Incredibly powerful feature that is so well executed on the iPhone.

Festive balloons tethered to the gymnasium venue for the iPhone in Korea launch “party” of 2009.

Portion of the 1,000 lottery winners. Some of these guys were waiting more than 24 hours.

iPhone demos for people to actually hold and handle the device. First time for most. The guy in front of me pulled out his iPod Touch to compare side by side to the iPhone. He realized the iPhone is a little bigger, thicker, and heavier.

View of the outdoor area of the iPhone launching event. They had different sections where the 1,000 lottery winners were herded into. They had separate holding areas, just like for livestock.

Home stretch if you are a lottery winner. You pick up your iPhone, make your way around, and pick up other free goodies like accessories and information about the iPhone.

New iPhone owner holding the famous device. When I asked if it was OK to take a picture of him for the website, he said it was fine only if it wasn’t for a Korean website.

A couple more fans.

Part of KT’s fleet of SHOW vehicles parked outside the venue.

Here are some dedicated iPhone fans waiting at near Sports Complex Station in Seoul for the KT iPhone launch.

The first obsessed fan showed up at 11am yesterday. The photo above was taken sometime in the middle of the night.

The first person to make a phone call on their iPhone (out of the 1,000 selected), receives a full year of free calling on their new iPhone in Korea. The first 500 receive gifts including free calling, and free accessories like iPhone speakers and headphones.

Check out a video of what’s going on.

First line translation – “SHOW iPhone Launching Festival”

Second line translation – “Only 1,000 People Fest iPhone Meet”

Third line translation – “iPhone Experience, Rich Benefit, iPhone Concert”

So, basically, it’s an ad for an iPhone in Korea launch in Seoul. There will be a lottery for 1,000 online applicants for the iPhone in Korea (you must’ve registered to buy the iPhone online at the SHOW website prior) to be actually functional on Saturday. Otherwise, you have to wait until Tuesday, December 1st for your iPhone to work in Korea after purchase.

You will be able to physically test out iPhones on display. I don’t know what the “rich benefit” part of the ad means. There is also a concert.

Sounds like it’s a serious production.

Location:

Sport Complex Station, two stops away from Jamsil Station on line #2 (the green line) exit #6 or #7, look for the Gymnasium

Date and Time:

Saturday, November 28, 2009

2PM – 5PM iPhone presentations and exhibits of some sort

5PM-6:30PM Event (not sure what it is)

6:30PM – 8:30PM Concert (rumored to be Korean boy band 2PM)

Well, if you haven’t already done so, you can pre-order your iPhone at http://phonestore.show.co.kr/handler/N2 .  My girlfriend and I each ordered one this afternoon.

KT’s iPhone package prices are as follows:

iLite Plan 45,000 won /month

Included: 200 talk minutes, 300 text messages, 500 megabytes of data transfer (3G)

Handset prices: 32 gigabyte 3GS for 396,000 won, 16 gigabyte 3GS for 264,000 won

iMedium plan 65,000 400 min/month

Included: 400 talk minutes, 300 text messages, 1 gigabyte of data transfer (3G)

Handset prices: 32 gigabyte 3GS for 264,000, 16 gigabyte 3GS for 132,000, 3G 8 gigabyte is free

iPremium plan 95,000 won/month

Included: 800 talk minutes, 300 text messages, 3 gigabytes of data transfer

Handset prices: 32 gigabyte 3GS for 132,000 won, the 16 gigabyte 3GS and the 8 gigabyte 3G are free

A Few Things….

-The actual phone costs 946,000 won for the 32gig 3GS and 814,000 won for the 16gig 3GS. KT is subsidizing 550,000 won of the cost of the phone.

-Foreigners cannot get the iPhone for some reason (which is why I’m getting mine with my girlfriend’s name. She says that a Korean can have up to 12 mobile phones in Korea. 4 phones from each of the 3 carriers)

-When you are outside of a WIFI network, the 3G network automatically kicks in and they start counting every byte of usage

-Each plan is a 2 year contract

-You cannot cancel the contract

-You cannot transfer your plan to another person’s name

-Unless you’ve got some serious Korean language skills, you better grab a Korean friend to help you out with the website application via the link above

Below is a screenshot from the Apple website.

곧 만나실 수 있습니다. (Translation = We’ll see you soon.)

http://www.apple.com/kr/

Thank you Jeremy

iPhone Bonanza in Korea!

With it’s target of selling 500,000 iPhones in Korea, KT has already gotten a good start. They have 22,000 pre-orders from it’s website. Many news sources have headlines reading, “15,000 units sold in the first day,” or “22,000 iPhones sold in 2 days,” but these are only orders.

This is early in the game, but…..

Do you think KT will reach its sales target of 500,000 iPhones in the first year?

Could it be true? The iPhone is actually coming next week?

The iPhone is rumored to be released on November 28 by KT with 4 service plans, and a maximum data plan of 3 gigabytes (no unlimited plan?).  Service plans range from 35,000 won to 95,000 won per month.

The iconic Apple iPhone is receiving its final approval by the Korea Communications Commission. Recent rumors suggested that SK Telecom was also releasing the iPhone in Korea. However, no news about an SK Telecom release of the iPhone in Korea next week.

You Can Have An iPhone In Korea – For about $1,000 USD Upfront

If you can believe it, you can now actually use your iPhone in Korea with phone capability without Skype. The iPhone screen-shot you see above is of what is claimed as the first working iPhone in Korea.  I just received a barrage of information concerning this.  With the lifting of the WIPI requirement in April earlier this year, it cleared the road for a possible iPhone in Korea. It is only recent development however, with the offering of individual phone radio testing, that has made it possible for a functional iPhone in Korea.

The authentication process is done at the Radio Research Agency of Korea.  The actual certificate is called “Certification for Broadcasting and Communications Equipment.” The testing takes about 5 days, and once completed, merits a certificate like the one below.

From the select few that have had the privilege of using their iPhone in Korea, reviews of operating the iPhone on KT or SK Telecom’s network is bad. Poor reception, dropped calls, and lost text messages.  Battery drains quickly. Certain phones cannot ever send text messages to iPhone properly. These are some of the complaints thus far. I will update this blog regarding this as soon as I get more info. There is speculation that many of this is due to hardware that is not tuned for their networks, and lack of a proper antenna.

Currently, about 10-20 people apply daily for the “Certification of Broadcasting and Communication Equipment.” The price is for the testing, licensing, and certificate costs a total of 360,190 won. This process is necessary so the radio in the phone is “authenticated.” This price does not include the price of an iPhone (anywhere from $300 for a 1st gen iPhone to $800 for a new 32 gig iPhone 3GS) without contract.

Registering Your iPhone with KTF and SK Telecom

You can actually register your iPhone in Korea with both SK Telecom and KTF. However, if you look in the advertisement below, you’ll notice some advantages with KTF. In the advertisement below (hat tip to one of our readers Joseph Kim), there’s a few bonuses in registering your certified Korean iPhone with KTF.

-KT offer’s MMS with their current iPhone service (SK does not offer this with their service)

-Free iPhone Case-Mate case

-Free portable iPhone recharger

-No need to register your phone in-store (you can register through the phone or internet)

-Cheap internet options

-Any calling option is offered with the iPhone in Korea

Is It Worth It?

Am I in a rush to register my iPhone at the moment? No. I have substantial fees for canceling my contract with LG Telecom, plus another 400,000 won to apply for my iPhone to be certified, plus dealing with all the issues current iPhone users in Korea have. I really miss using my iPhone as an actual phone rather than just another device, but the costs and the potential headaches associated with the switch just don’t make sense. Hopefully the iPhone will finally officially arrive in Korea next month, but I’m not holding my breath any longer.

See Also:

How To Use Your iPhone in Korea Using Skype and WIFI

Do Korean SIM cards work in the iPhone in Korea?

Why is the iPhone not in Korea?

iPhone 3G vs the 3GS

아이폰 나는 나의 iPhone 을 정말 좋아한다

Who are the major mobile carriers in Korea?

10 reasons why Korea needs the iPhone

놀라운 기능을 아이폰 3GS 할로윈 의상!

If you can believe it, it’s a functioning iPhone costume (minus the touch screen).  In the video above, you can see Reko Riveria and John Savio with an iPhone 3GS hooked up to a 42″ LCD TV, powered by a car battery in between their legs.  If you have a few hours, a couple grand, and enough stamina to hold up 85 lbs (40 kg) for your entire Halloween celebration, then you can have one too!

That’s them hanging out in an Apple store in Florida.

They said it took them 3 weeks to assemble these costumes. Nice work guys!!

Be an iPhone for Halloween!

The winner. An iPhone dog costume. Poor thing.

Runner up. Hand-down the most comfortable iPhone costume out there.

Really well done. He’s got mobility, and people can tell who he is (just look at his Facebook info).

I think the screens on these iPhone costumes actually light up. There might be a beer fridge in there somewhere, too.

Pretty good. Must be a first generation iPhone costume.

Hmmm…. so many options. Ahhh…  Where should I go?

Listening to Elsie’s message before your aunts and uncles messages?

iPhone costume guy with his feet really close together.

Photo: iPhone with a SIM card ejected.

Question: Will a Korean SIM card work in my iPhone?

Answer:  NO!! It doesn’t matter who you ask. It doesn’t matter how they answer. It doesn’t matter if you have a Ph.D. in mobile phone technology.  You will ultimately find yourself wasting your time. SIM is an acronym for “Subscriber Identity Module.”  A Korean SIM card from a mobile carrier in Korea will not work in your iPhone (including SK Telecom, KTF, and LG Telecom).

The Reason: At the moment, every mobile phone (hand-phone) is required to be registered into the carriers network. That means the actual phone’s serial number, or ID number must match what is allowed on the network. Not only that, each phone model must be approved by the government.  This is mandated by the Korean government. Jail-breaking your iPhone to function with a carrier in Korea will not work.

Your iPhone will not magically jump on the Korean cell phone network simply by inserting a Korean network SIM card. I know it’s frustrating. The best way to use an iPhone in Korea is to either purchase an iPod Touch or an iPhone and dealing with what’s available for the time being. For now, you must be satisfied with using an Interbro ”egg” to provide your iPhone with a local WIFI connection.

You’ll have a high-bandwidth 4G connection for about  $20/month with KT Telecom plus the cost of the “egg” (sometimes called the Yota Egg for about $200). You can register a Korean phone number with Skype for about $30/year plus $10/month for an unlimited calling plan.

See Also:

How to Use the iPhone in Korea (with Skype)

How to use your iPhone in Korea WITHOUT Skype for phone capability

Why is the iPhone not in Korea?

iPhone 3G vs the 3GS

아이폰 나는 나의 iPhone 을 정말 좋아한다

Who are the major mobile carriers in Korea?

10 reasons why Korea needs the iPhone

Is this just more protection for Korean chaebols?

As you may already know, gaming is hugely popular in Korea. Even ajumas (older, generally married Korean women) play video games (I see this all the time when I ride the subway in Seoul).  Since there’s a lot of money in the gaming industry, especially in Korea, the government is involved.  Korea is the only country I’ve been to where they have television channels dedicated to viewing professional gamers playing online (read the third paragraph of this Wikipedia entry). The Korean government requires that all games be pre-screened and approved by the Games Rating Board of Korea before availability to the public (Why is this even necessary? I need to get to the bottom of this).

So, with the absence of a “game” section for Korean iPhone users in the Apple iTunes Store, what does this mean?

iPhone Games Disguised As Entertainment Applications

First of all, it is said that there is no way that the Games Rating Board has the capacity to screen every single app in the iTunes Store. The Games Rating Board’s mentioned their intent of screening not only the “games” section of the Apple iTunes Store, but also the “entertainment” section. Their announcement brings clarity to alternative routes that will most likely be taken by developers in marketing their iPhone games.

iPhone Web-Based Games

Another serious problem for the Games Rating Board’s objective is the WIFI technology in the iPhone. Although the Chinese iPhones do not have WIFI, the Korean version most likely will have it. If “The Board” decides to pursue iPhone games under the “entertainment” guise in the Apple iTunes Store, developers will cleverly create web-based iPhone games. The iPhone WIFI capability coupled with Korea’s 4G mobile infrastructure, which would otherwise be mobile high-bandwidth pipe dreams for most corners of the planet, are actually a reality for Korea today. Companies like Skyfire have made strides in developing web-based applications that offer a desktop experience for your mobile device such as the iPhone. Expect Flash-based games available via Skyfire-powered mobile browsers.

A Future With iPhone Games

If you’re like me, and you love the iPhone, don’t worry – there will be options. I’m not a big gamer, but if that’s your thing, I don’t anticipate this initiative from the Games Rating Board of Korea to last long. If it does, there’s plenty of other interesting applications available to check out in the meantime.  Getting around this may be as easy as changing the location preferences of your iTunes account to a country where iTunes Store games are “legal.”

Will the absence of a “games” section in the Apple iTunes Store in Korea pose as a serious threat to the iPhone’s popularity in Korea? iPhoneInKorea.com doesn’t think so. The iPod Touch is already the most popular (and the most expensive) MP3 player in Korea.  Although the game-changing component of the iPhone and the iPod Touch are the tens of thousands of applications available in the iTunes Store, there’s plenty more besides game apps that the Korean consumer will notice as attractive features that make the iPhone worth the price premium.

Unless there’s a huge breakthrough elsewhere, the beautiful design, brand recognition, intuitive interface, and advanced technology of the iPhone will prevail and will continually leave it’s competitors following in the dust.

Step 1: Get a WiMAX subscription with your Korean mobile phone company

Step 2: Get a wireless router for your WiMAX called an “egg”

Step 3: Get your iPhone or iPod Touch

Step 4: Get Skype

If you have a WiMAX subscription, you can get a router called an “egg,” manufactured by a company called Interbro (branded as Yota in Korea) to use with your iPhone or your iPod Touch. The “egg” turns into a WIFI hotspot, with speeds up to 4 megabits per second. The Egg’s battery lasts an impressive 5 hours, an hour longer than my MacBook. That is faster than most high speed cable connections anywhere in the world. KT has their WiBro service everywhere, including the subways.

KT offers 30 gigabytes of data transfer at speeds up to 4 megabits per second for $20 per month. This is a much, much better than Verizon Wireless’s similar offering in the US called MiFi for $60 for only 5 gigabytes of data transfer.

I currently use my iPhone everywhere here in Korea, and I also use Skype daily to make phone calls home to the US. I’ve used my Skype iPhone App on my iPhone, and it works great. Now you can use your Skype account to make phone calls anywhere in the world for CHEAP. I pay $30/year for a US-based phone number (you can also get a Korean phone number), and $10/month for unlimited phone calls anywhere in the world. Some countries are limited to just land-lines. Fortunately, there are no surcharges to mobile phones in the US and Canada.

There’s been talk for 3 years about the iPhone reaching the Korean shores. There’s a ridiculous amount of hype about it, but its still not here. For now, I’ve found my own band-aid fix to use my iPhone in Korea.

See Also:

How To Use Your iPhone in Korea Without Skype (Full Mobile Phone Capability)

Do Korean SIM cards work in the iPhone in Korea?

Why is the iPhone not in Korea?

iPhone 3G vs the 3GS

아이폰 나는 나의 iPhone 을 정말 좋아한다

Who are the major mobile carriers in Korea?

10 reasons why Korea needs the iPhone

As of now, there is no iPhone in Korea. Nor can you use your iPhone with SK Telecom.  Despite false rumors currently floating around the Korean blog space, no iPhone will function with SK Telecom’s networks, or any other Korean phone network for that matter.

There is no iPhone in Korea because iPhones lack WIPI (Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability) circuitry which is required for any mobile phone to function in Korea.  This standard was created by, get this, the Mobile Platform Special Subcommittee of the Korea Wireless Internet Standardization Forum (KWISF).

2) Korean telecom companies are government supported MONOPOLIES and oligopolies that are protected.

It’s safe to say that the KWISF  has ties with the chaebols of Korea. A chaebol is a huge multinational corporation owned by families and other entities. Chaebols are unique to Korea, and in Korean literally means “monopoly” or “business family.” The three largest chaebols of Korea are Samsung, Hyundai, and LG – names we are all familiar with.

Chaebols are financially and politically supported by the government. The two telecoms contending to offer the iPhone in Korea are KT/KTF (heavily speculated as the winner) and SK Telecom. They are the two largest mobile carriers in Korea. Big surprise, BOTH are chaebols!

3) The Korean GOVERNMENT is protecting Korean telecoms

The telecom chaebols in Korea are being protected by government at the expense of its consumers. Overpriced service plans are resultant of lack of competition. Limited selection of handset manufacturers (basically limited to only Korean) is due to restrictive barriers from foreign competition.

4) No WIFI on phones in Korea

Mobile phones in Korea do not have WIFI capability. The iPhone with WIFI will be an immediate threat to Korean telecoms profits. Korean telecoms count on subscribers paying for overpriced internet access on their mobile phones.  Only a few years ago, Korean telecom companies invested a fortune in a network to allow for 3G technology for data connections on mobiles. They have fended off competition with WIFI enabled mobile phones to recover their investment in building the network and protect their bank accounts.

Final Thoughts

When and if the iPhone finally arrives in Korea, will they be the same as what the rest of the world gets? Will Koreans continue to be fleeced by government supported telecoms? Will the iPhone in Korea be stripped of features like WIFI to protect corporate Korea? What do you think?

Confirmed. Could it really be true? Finally? iPhone is coming to Korea at last? In a phone interview just this past Friday:

“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)

Kim Yeon Hak, Chief Financial Officer, KTF

We’ll see. We’ve been hearing the same thing over and over, although this one seems a little more official.  Despite the seemingly good news, no word yet on when its the iPhone’s arrival in the land of kimchi soup, and no word on pricing.

It is speculated however, that it will be priced similarly to the US – $100 USD for the 3G, $200 USD for the 16 gigabyte 3GS, and $300 USD for the 32 gigabyte 3GS. Additionally, there is talk about Korea possibly being the only country where the iPhone will be released with more than one service provider (SK Telecom is the other contendor).

아이폰이 한국에 필요한 10가지 이유

Rumors of an iPhone in Korea have been in the air for 3 years now. Since my arrival in Korea, I have had to carry around an iPhone with basically the functionality of an iPod Touch. Why? Its the best mobile device I have ever used. Even without it’s primary function as a mobile phone, I still feel a need to carry it around with me, along with my Korean phone.

I have now gone through 2 Korean phones now. One was a SKY phone, and my current phone is an LG Lollipop. Both of these phones are  a joke compared to the iPhone.  Here are the biggest issues I have with my cell phone here in Korea:

Reasons 1 to 5:

I Get Frustrated With Mobile Phones in Korea

나는 한국 휴대폰에 실망했다.

1) Terrible interface – The interface is the equivalent to the first Motorola color-screen flip phone I had 5 years ago.  Internet browsing is useless.

2) Rip-off service plans. For about 100,000 Korean won, you get a plan with 1,800 minutes with SK Telecom. There is no unlimited call plan. Likewise, there is no unlimited text-messaging plan. In the states, I had an unlimited plan with unlimited data and unlimited text messaging for $140 USD/month.

3) Only Korean manufacturers. The handset manufacturers are limited to basically Korean brands. The so called touch-screen phones in Korea are a joke. Basically “touch” buttons instead of the full touch screen functionality of the iPhone.  I see a few Motorolas out there, but some of the best phones that are available in the rest of the world are not in Korea due to its WIPI requirement (network that is unique to Korea)

4) Poor translation. When changing the language settings on my LG Lollipop from Korean to English, everything converts to English except text messaging – so annoying.

5) Cheap and bad design. Just doesn’t have the aesthetics or the smooth feel of my iPhone. Both phones, including my Lollipop feel cheap. All plastic and feels like it could break any second. The glass surface of the iPhone really is the best material.

I had used the iPhone for 2 years in the US, basically since within 2 weeks of it’s debut in the States.  I really miss having the phone functionality of my iPhone to really take advantage of the device. The iPhone is superior in several ways:

Reasons 6-10:

iPhone Features That I Love

내가 정말 좋아하는 아이폰의 특징

6) iPhone Apps – By far, the biggest advantage of the iPhone is it’s access to more than 50,000 applications. A large portion of those applications are free and easily accessible through iTunes. I have everything from subway maps to multi-lingual dictionary applications on my iPhone that I use on a daily basis.

7) Brilliant interface – The interface is in a league of it’s own… everything from general settings to using the camera and multi-function center button have legendary Apple simplicity and elegance. For example, click the center button once to go to the home screen, click it twice to go to “favorite contacts,” and click it with the power button, and it will take a photo of the screen (similar to “print screen,” F12 on a PC) and save it to your “photos.”

SMS text messaging - Predictive text-messaging, with both landscape and portrait sized keyboard, is far more efficient. Those of you who use T9 text messaging, I’d say texting is at least twice as fast with the iPhone, although due to the touch screen, the iPhone lacks tactile sensitivity. Easily send multimedia such as pics you just took with the integrated camera to your friends.

9) Great internet browsing. Internet browsing and email is a breeze. You have a REAL internet browser. You basically have the same experience on your iPhone as you do on your laptop or desktop computer. One button email, with the option of automatic updating makes email access easier on your iPhone than your desktop.

10) WIFI! – WIFI, which basically doesn’t exist in Korean phones, it terrific for internet access whenever I’m near a coffee shop. In fact, WIFI is everywhere in Korea, so whenever I need to use the internet, about 30% of the time, I have a free WIFI connection.

There you have it. Wherever my Korean phone leaves off, my iPhone even without phone capability always picks up. It can be annoying carrying two phones everywhere, but its actually worth the inconvenience. Hopefully, I’ll have a Korean iPhone 3GS in my hands in the next month or two.