South Korea’s antitrust watchdog has granted Apple Korea another month to fix unfair business arrangements with local wireless carriers and share growth with local suppliers.

Apple Korea was accused of translating its marketing costs and repair service fees onto the country’s three major mobile carriers – KT, SK Telecom and LG Uplus.

The Fair Trade Commission ordered it to correct its business arrangements by June 17 and Apple Korea promised to design a fair cost-sharing plan and fix some unfair practices in cooperation with the wireless carriers.

It also vowed to create a fund to support small- and mid-sized parts suppliers, program developers and consumers.

The deadline however was extended for another month for more discussions on the plan, said a FTC official. Under an agreed outline, the two now are fine-tuning the details.

If a detailed remedy scheme is out, the FTC collects opinions from related parties and divisions for 60 to 80 days and then gives an approval to it for a consent decree.

By Pulse

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