Found Footage: Koreans enthusiastically welcome iPhone

Apple has begun introducing the iPhone to Asia with varying results. After a slow launch in China, the iPhone and App Store are now doing well, despite the lack of Wi-Fi and an active black market. In Korea, however, enthusiastic customers are snapping them up.

Some customers lined up as much as 26 hours in advance, and were rewarded with balloons and a live band once sales began. According to CNNMoney, carrier KT Corp. received approximately 65,000 pre-orders. In addition, Korea Times reports that Korea's competivively priced iPhone -- KT Corp.is selling the 32 GB iPhone 3GS for $317US* with a $38 per month two-year contract and giving away free with a $112/mos. contract -- has prompted Samsung and LG to lower prices on some of their popular models. Let the price wars begin.

Above is a television ad currently running in Korea. For footage of the enthusiastic crowd, click below.

[Via MacDailyNews]

*US prices are accurate as of this writing.

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Source: http://news.naver.com/main/hotissue/read.nhn?mid=hot&sid1=10…

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Apple has begun introducing the iPhone to Asia with varying results. After a slow launch in China, the iPhone and App Store are now...

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Jeffbbs

Korea is a huge untapped market for apple. yes, they are definitely windows dominated, and their websites are mostly very unfriendly to anything not internet explorer, but every korean that I've shown apple products too has loved them and several friends have bought macs despite the high price (in Korea). I don't know why apple is so dumb about korea. They could definitely make it big here.

December 01 2009 at 8:17 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

donghyeon.gim

Well I did not even know they are airing stupid advertisements in Korea. I thought it might be a hard nut to crack, but I am really happy to see it works in the Korean market.

December 01 2009 at 4:39 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

turim

Good for South Koreans :-)

Hope some clever Koreans will start to develop a really cool TV-app for iPhone, since they already have great knowledge of TV for mobile devices in Korea.
We have lots to learn from Korea in that market!

December 01 2009 at 3:33 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jaganath

It is good to see iPhone sales picking up in Asia. One place where it failed miserably is in India. According to some reports, the number of iPhones sold in the first year was about 20,000. Pathetic when compared to sales in other territories. No wonder they have not introduced the 3GS in the country yet.

December 01 2009 at 2:01 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply