[Naver Maps]
Apple has yet to open its first store in South Korea, but its location could be seen in the map service of local web service provider Naver as "Apple Store (Ready in November)".
The Apple Store is under construction in Gangnam, the heart of Seoul's trend and finance, but the US company has been extremely discreet without saying when it will do its business.
Recent leaks showing a working model of Apple Pay, the American tech company's digital wallet service, in the South Korean mobile environment also back speculation the opening is imminent.
In August, a set of screenshots showing Apple Pay with transportation card registered were uploaded onto online communities and were deleted almost immediately. Apple has officially added a Korean version of its web page explaining the features of its digital wallet service.
As about 20 percent of 48 million South Korean smartphone users use Apple smart devices, there have been constant demands for Apple to operate official stores.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
