The latest iPhones including XS, XS Max and XR on display at the company’s Apple store in Garosugil in Gangnam, southern Seoul, on Nov. 2, 2018. (Yonhap)
SEJONG, May 14 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s antitrust regulator said Thursday it has again rejected voluntary corrective measures by Apple Inc.’s Korean unit over its alleged violation of competition law.
Apple Korea is suspected of having required Korean mobile phone carriers — SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. — to pay the cost of television advertisements for its iPhones and their warranty costs.
Apple Korea had submitted voluntary corrective measures last year, but the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) rejected the measures in September last year.
The FTC held a meeting Wednesday to discuss new measures submitted by Apple Korea but rejected them due to a lack of specific plans on some measures. The FTC ordered Apple Korea to submit revised measures.
Under the law, an applicant is required to state a correction scheme necessary to restore competition practices or improve trading practices and to remedy or prevent damage to consumers and other business entities.
If the FTC decides to launch the process, it will come up with provisional corrective measures in consultation with Apple Korea before collecting opinions of relevant parties and finalizing a consent decree.
The law stipulates any consent decree adopted by the commission does not mean that the relevant conduct is recognized as a violation of the law.
(Yonhap)
