In 2016, Apple was charged with anti-competitive practices in South Korea. Because of the iPhone’s popularity, Apple dictated their terms on the carriers.
The company imposed local South Korea carriers with three conditions:
- They had to pay for iPhone TV ads.
- They had to share warranty repair and replacement costs.
- They had to purchase minimum quantities on all iPhone models.
The antitrust regulars of South Korea, the Fair Trade Commission, deemed it unfair for the other smartphone companies who didn’t enjoy the same leverage as Apple had. The carriers also had to think of a way to recoup the costs accordingly.
Today, the Korea Herald has reported that Apple is asking to settle the case via a consent decree. The antitrust regulator responded that they will be considering the proposal. Apple’s general statement was that they were disappointed with the KFTC’s approach as they didn’t do anything wrong.