Apple will likely face sanctions from the Korean Fair Trade Commission for unfair iPhone contracts that require local carriers to pay advertising and repair costs, reports The Korea Herald, citing industry sources.

Apple's Korean division has been criticized for asking carriers to foot the bill for advertising costs, launch events, and iPhone repairs, leading to an investigation from the Fair Trade Commission. The Korean FTC recently agreed to impose penalties on Apple Korea and has contacted the company for an explanation before making a final decision on whether or not to impose sanctions.

iphone x quad
According to The Korea Herald, three Korean carriers, SKT, KT, and LG Uplus, were directed by Apple to air TV commercials promoting the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X, but were reportedly required to pay for the commercials.

"When you see iPhone's TV commercials here, everything is the same except for a telecom operator's logo at the end of the commercials. Still, telecom firms should bear all the costs standing at billions of won," said an executive of one of the three firms on the condition of anonymity.

Apple Korea has been under investigation in Korea since 2016, with the Korean Federal Trade Commission conducting raids in June 2016 and November 2017. It's not clear what kind of fines the company could be facing in the country should the FTC move forward with sanctions.

Top Rated Comments

kdarling Avatar
95 months ago
South Korea? The home of Samsung? The country with the corrupt government? The country that is run by Samsung?

Who woulda thunk it?
:D

Says a guy with California in his signature, home of the few court wins Apple managed to get with patents that were quickly invalidated in other countries.

Accusations of hometown prejudice can be made all over the world.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macfacts Avatar
95 months ago
So if you want to advertise your local franchise, the franchisee pays for their own advertising? That's pretty standard.

Or will car dealers start asking the manufacturer to pay for their advertising too?
Those local carriers want to advertise their services and phones they offer. Apple's contracts force them to make (edit: not make, show) "iPhone only commercials" and cover the cost.

What bizaroo world do you live in where that sounds reasonable.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alphaod Avatar
95 months ago
So if you want to advertise your local franchise, the franchisee pays for their own advertising? That's pretty standard.

Or will car dealers start asking the manufacturer to pay for their advertising too?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheColtr Avatar
95 months ago
South Korea? The home of Samsung? The country with the corrupt government? The country that is run by Samsung?

Who woulda thunk it?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mousse Avatar
95 months ago
I see nothing wrong with having the carrier pay for advertising and events, but making them pay for phone repair?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kdarling Avatar
95 months ago
Please. What he said is true. Samsung has had not one, but two CEOs sentenced to prison. Along with dozens of other executives over the years.
That's a good thing, as it shows that South Korea is going through a dismantling of old ways. Paying a friend of a friend to help you with government red tape is common all over the planet. In the US we still do it, but semi-hide it by hiring people into civilian lucrative jobs afterwards.

In any case, it has zero to do with Apple and its carrier contracts.

Can you name any Apple CEOs or executives that have gone to prison (and then released much earlier than they should have)?
That might just show that the US still protects Apple execs even more than Korea used to protect Samsung execs.

Some think Jobs should've gotten jail time for his stock scandal, same as other less fortunate execs of smaller companies. Others think he should've gone to trial for his secretive anti-poaching and other anti-trust plots.

But, just like used to happen with Samsung execs, Jobs was deemed too valuable to charge with anything. There's very little difference in the types of influence going on in both cases. Well, except Samsung actually is critical to South Korea's economy and defense, unlike Apple.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...