South Korean regulator approves iPhone

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s telecommunications regulator cleared the way Wednesday for the launch of Apple’s iPhone amid reports the hit device could reach consumers late next week.

The Korea Communications Commission approved the granting of a business license to Apple to offer so-called location based services, said Oh Sang-jin, director of the commission’s privacy protection and ethics division.

Location based services include functions such as maps and direction finders that are included on the iPhone. South Korean law requires companies that provide such applications to obtain government permission. The approval was the last major regulatory hurdle the company faced in bringing the iPhone to South Korea, Oh said.

The iPhone’s arrival in South Korea has been keenly awaited as the market is dominated by domestic manufacturers Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc., which are also big players overseas.

Local service providers KT Corp. and SK Telecom Co. have been in talks with Cupertino, California-based Apple Inc. regarding the introduction of the hot-selling smartphone.

The Chosun Ilbo, South Korea’s largest mass circulation newspaper, reported Wednesday that KT plans to start taking Internet orders for the iPhone on Thursday and begin sales on Nov. 28.

KT spokeswoman Alice Park said her company had no comment on the commission’s decision as well as the newspaper report. She reiterated, however, that KT — the country’s second-largest mobile carrier — is committed to releasing the iPhone in South Korea as soon as possible.

Lauren Kim, a spokeswoman for SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest mobile carrier, said her company had made no decisions regarding the iPhone.

Apple spokesman Steve Park, meanwhile, had no comment, saying his company has yet to confirm whether it will introduce the phone to South Korea.

Apple’s Web site, which lists countries where the iPhone is or will soon be available, did not include South Korea in its “coming soon” section.

South Korea would be one of the last major countries in Asia to get the iPhone. The device made its formal debut in China late last month via local partner China Unicom Ltd. It is also on sale in Japan, India and Australia.

Worldwide the iPhone is available in 86 countries and territories and will be soon in four more, according to Apple’s Web site.