Lee Myung-bak
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Editorial: HTC's departure from South Korea proves a tough fight for foreign brands
HTC's closure of its South Korean office may seem yet another blow to the company this year, but don't be alarmed: we saw it coming. It's a given that Peter Chou's gang is cutting back in response to its recent weak performance, but the more interesting takeaway here is the fact that the South Korean smartphone market is one tough nut for foreign brands to crack open. Just walk into any carrier shop in Seoul and you'll see the shelves dominated by devices from Samsung, LG and Pantech. If you're lucky, you may spot the odd Sony, Motorola and HTC phones cowering in a corner. So why is that the case? Let's take a look at the how it all started.
Microsoft pays South Koreans $60 million to use its software
It might make for good business practice, but damn if Microsoft's plan to "invest" in South Korea's software industry "as part of the US giant's drive to strengthen its presence in the country" doesn't sound a bit desperate. After all, shouldn't your software be so compelling that governments and companies fall all over themselves for the rights to use it (eh, hem: Android)? In a $60 million deal announced after Steve Ballmer lobbied met with South Korea's president, Lee Myung-Bak, Microsoft will train software designers, support venture firms, and establish a tech center in South Korea over the next three years. The Korean government will invest about $8.4 million. In separate but related deals also announced today, Microsoft entered into a vague agreement with LG -- having something to do with convergence using LG's mobile gear and Microsoft's WinMo OS -- and opened a research center with Hyundai to develop new IT products and services for automotive applications. Thumbs up, indeed.Read -- $60,000,000 investment Read -- Hyundai deal Read -- LG and Microsoft
South Korean president gifted with mother of pearl Xbox 360
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has commissioned 100 Xbox 360s adorned in the traditional Korean mother of pearl, with at least one of them going to South Korean president Lee Myung-bak at Cheong Wa Dae on May 6, according to Far East Gizmos. Given the conole's tepid reception in the region (although it did just receive a price drop), we wonder if the president will be able to find any local Xbox Live friends. Regardless, that's still one of the classier case mods we've seen, and certainly more aesthetically pleasing that the Croco-360. Let's just hope the system doesn't become one massive, red-ringed paperweight.[Via Engadget]
