South Korea opens gates for iPad imports

South Korea’s communications regulator has lifted a ban on imports of the iPad, after the country’s culture minister Yu In-chon used one at a recent public press appearance. The Wall Street Journal reports that Yu In-chon used an iPad as a prop, remarking about how nicely it displays books, at a photo op to announce a new $50 million program to help develop the country’s electronic books industry. The following day, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) said it wouldn’t stop people from importing the iPad for personal or development purposes, reversing a brief ban on imports of the device put in place due to a lack of certification of the iPad’s wireless networking features. The KCC noted that customs rules still apply; the country’s Customs Service is holding shipments that contain more than five of the tablet computers, to help prevent the importation and resale of large numbers of the devices.