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

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?