“For two days on Saturday and Sunday [November 1 and 2], it is regrettable that some mobile phone retail outlets paid illegal subsidies to iPhone 6 buyers who had to wait for hours in long lines. We will make sure this kind of unfortunate incident will not happen again by using all means possible.”
“There is a bulletin board on our website for mobile phone consumers to share latest information on the law introduced lately to rationalize the mobile handset retail structure. But it seems the page is not doing its job properly. What we do at the Korea Communications Commission is intimately related to everyday life of citizens. For this reason, we must be vigilant about constantly communicating with people so that there won’t be any inconvenience and misunderstanding.
Choi Sung-joon, Commissioner, Korea Communications Commission
Sung-joon, commissioner of the Korea Communications Commission, said he would respond sternly to what happened on November 1 and 2. (image: Kobizmedia/Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Korea Bizwire) – Choi Sung-joon, commissioner of the Korea Communications Commission, said he would respond sternly to what happened on November 1 and 2 related to the launch of the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in violation of the new law restricting handset subsidies.
The commission, jointly with the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, recalled high-ranking executives of three mobile operators on November 2 and warned about the incident in which several mobile phone retail outlets paid their iPhone 6 customers subsidies over and above the legally set limit.
The government agencies said the incident occurred despite repeated warnings and would deal with harshly by imposing heavy penalties to sales agents while accusing top officials of the mobile telecom service operators to the prosecutors’ office.
By Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
