By Kim Yoo-chul
Staff reporter
Conflicts between Korea’s top mobile carrier SK Telecom and Apple are reaching a peak after the SK chief executive officially asked the iPhone maker to ameliorate its inadequate after-sales policies.
"Unless Apple implements improved after-sales policies, SK Telecom's elimination of iPhones will continue," CEO Jung Man-won told reporters at an industry forum held in downtown Seoul, last week.
The request at the CEO-level of a certain company for the changes in consumer policies to suit Korean customers is the first since the iPhone arrival, here, late last year.
"An improved after-sales service is the top pre-condition for SK Telecom to negotiate with Apple. Because we feel a greater responsibility to deal with service-related issues as the nation's top carrier, SK Telecom's next-step will follow up on the situation," according to the executive.
SK Telecom is experiencing a rapid deterioration of business ties with Apple after the U.S. company formed an exclusive partnership with SK's biggest domestic rival KT to sell iPhones from late last year.
In May, Jung condemned Apple for keeping what some consumers and officials say is "unfriendly" consumer policies and clarified the carrier won't renew the stalled business talks to possibly offer iPhones in Korea.
Circumstances are not on Apple's side at least in the Korean market.
Although the California-based consumer electronics company has been enjoying brisk sales of iPhones via KT, Korean regulators are investigating to find any unfair business actions by Apple to local consumers.
Weeks ago, The Korea Times reported the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) and the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) are "seriously considering" taking action against Apple over complaints by local consumers for poor after-sales service.
According to KT spokeswoman Kim Yoon-jeong, over 720,000 devices have so far been sold since November 2009, but some of those customers have complained that defective phones have to be sent to China for repair, resulting in lengthy periods of waiting.
Other complaints included having to pay 300,000 won or $250 for a "refurbished" iPhone, even for minor problems like a faulty earphone jack, and some of the replacement devices were used display models.