Apple gets approval to sell iPhone 4 in Korea

Hey, those of you in Korea who stood in line for hours or waited weeks or months to get your grubby little hands on an iPhone 3Gs, guess what? Be prepared for people who weren't huge fanboys to get their grubby little hands on the iPhone 4, now that South Korean regulators have approved its sale in the Republic of Korea.

From AFP:

Regulators Tuesday authorised the sale of Apple's iPhone 4 in the lucrative South Korean market, after the firm's decision last month to delay sales in the country upset consumers.

The Korea Communications Commission said in a statement it had granted Apple a technical certification to operate in the country, four days after it applied for the approval.

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs announced last month the iPhone 4 was going on sale in 17 of 18 new markets. He said at the time it would "take us a little longer to get government approval" in South Korea.

The remarks sparked concern among tech-savvy South Koreans, who still remember regulatory barriers that kept the previous version of the iPhone out of the country for more than two years.

KT Corp., Apple's South Korean partner, said at the time the delay was needed for further testing and there were no regulatory hurdles.

KT said Tuesday it hoped to get the iPhone4 on the market next month.

In case you're wondering if the iPhone 4 is worth it, the answer is yes. But if you're wondering if the iPhone 4 is worth it when you just bought yourself an iPhone 3Gs, the answer may be maybe. In a couple weeks, when "M" has a chance to see my iPhone4 side by side with the iPhone 3Gs she bought in October, I'll let you know if she pulls her hair out, screams, and/or throws things at the wall.