Korea Telecom Freetel expects to distribute iPhones in South Korea
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Dec 21, 2007 at 1:34pm
KTF (Korea Telecom Freetel), a South Korean telecommunications firm specializing in cellular/mobile phones, is optimistic that it will sell Apple’s best-selling mobile phone iPhone in South Korea next year with help from its Japanese partner NTT Docomo, according to the Korea Times.
“We want to (sell it in Korea), but Steve Jobs has been playing hard (in the negotiation),’’ Kim Yeon-hak, executive vice president, told the publication. “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.’‘
KTF has close ties with NTT Docomo, the largest mobile operator in Japan. NTT Docomo is the second largest shareholder of KTF with a 10.31 percent share. The two companies also co-invested $200 million in Malaysia this month to buy a 33 percent share of local mobile operator U Mobile.
Apple is reportedly weighing between NTT Docomo and Softbank, the third largest operator in Japan, for the iPhone deal, reports the Korea Times. NTT Docomo’s executives including Masao Najamura, the chief executive, have been meeting with Jobs in recent months.
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Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
