[Photo by Namgun Jin-woong = timeid@ajunews.com]
South Korea has decided not to ban passengers from carrying or charging Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 smartphones into planes despite a global recall caused by battery explosions.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement issued late Thursday that it has no plans to ban passengers from "carrying Galaxy Note 7s into planes, charging or forcing them to turn their smartphones off".
The ministry's move came after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement officially warning passengers not to turn on or charge the Note 7s on board or stow them in any checked baggage.
FAA's decision would deal a further blow to the world's largest smartphone maker which has been reeling from its decision to suspend sales and recall its new flagship smartphone.
Samsung has embarked on exchange programs since it admitted on September 2 that faulty parts have caused a series of battery explosions. The recall came only two weeks after the new smartphone was unveiled.
Australia's largest airline Qantas Airways has reportedly banned passengers from charging Galaxy Note7 phones on all flights because of fears of devices with faulty batteries could catch fire.
Samsung Australia said there had been two instances of the phone overheating in Australia, said The Sydney Morning Herald, adding an estimated 50,000 phones would be recalled in Australia.
Aju News Park Sae-jin = swatchsjp@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
