An AP story indicates that the lead up to the iPhone launch in South Korea on Saturday is a much bigger event than the China launch. KT Corp. reported 53,000 iPhone pre-orders prior to the Korean launch day.
These numbers suggest that the iPhone will be sizable competition for local companies such as Samsung and LG. The current smartphone market in South Korea is estimated to be about 400,000 users as of the end of the 3rd quarter, with the full size of the mobile phone market estimated at 47 million units.
The iPhone does have the disadvantage of not supporting some of the localized features that Korean customers have come to expect. Specifically, the ability to watch live local television is said to be a popular feature on existing Korean phones.
