By Jun Ji-hye
Korea’s first-ever Apple store will open in the upscale Garosu-gil shopping area in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, Jan. 27, Apple Korea said Wednesday.
Customers will be able to buy, repair and try out iPhones and other Apple products such as iPads and MacBooks at the retail shop.
The store will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Like other Apple retail stores, the shop in Seoul will host “Today at Apple” sessions and have a Genius Bar for device repairs.
The store will also offer discounted battery replacements for those using the iPhone 6 or later models in line with recent company policy.
Apple began replacing iPhone batteries early this month, with Korean consumers joining worldwide legal action demanding compensation for a recent software update that slowed down older iPhone models.
Since its announcement of a plan to open its first store in Korea over a year ago, Apple has carried out construction and hiring of staff.
The U.S. company has been promoting its Garosu-gil store with a colorful greeting saying “Hello” in English and “Nice to see you” in Korean on its website.
Apple said it is currently working with Korean mobile carriers, including SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus, so customers can register their mobile phones at the store.