Apple confirms plans for first South Korean retail store in Seoul

Following rumors that Apple was scouting locations for its first flagship store in South Korea, the company on Thursday posted retail hiring notices and confirmed that it indeed plans to open a brick-and-mortar outlet in the country.

Apple published a total of 15 retail job listings to its corporate website today seeking candidates for the Apple Store Leader Program, business managers, Genius Bar staff and marketing, among other positions.

As expected, the job postings seek employees for an outlet in South Korea's capital of Seoul. The city also happens to be the hometown of Apple ally and competitor, Samsung.

"We're excited about opening our first Apple Store in Korea, one of the world's economic centers and a leader in telecommunication and technology, with a vibrant K-culture," Apple said in a statement on Friday, local time. "We're now hiring the team that will offer our customers in Seoul the service, education and entertainment that is loved by Apple customers around the world."

Apple has not officially stated where it plans to build its first Korean flagship, but Reuters points to Yonhap News Agency coverage claiming construction is already underway in a southern district of Seoul. That report, also filed on Friday, suggests work at the site will be completed in November. Previous rumors suggested Apple was looking at sites in Gangnam and the busy Garosu-gil shopping street.

For Apple, a brick-and-mortar outlet in Seoul represents more than an opportunity to grow international sales. A retail presence in Samsung's backyard could go a long way in winning mindshare in the South Korean market, which is currently served by third-party resellers and Apple's online store.

13 Comments

gmgravytrain 884 comments · 8 Years

About 7 years ago

That's quite a surprise. They way people talk it's as though S. Koreans want nothing to do with Apple iPhones because supposedly Samsung flagship smartphones are considered much superior with all their fancy features. I really hope Apple knows what it is doing. Is this considered a good move on Apple's part? It sure will be amusing to see if the Apple store stays packed with customers.

macxpress 5910 comments · 16 Years

And Samsung will build a store just like Apple's across the street...

revenant 610 comments · 15 Years

gmgravytrain said:

That's quite a surprise. They way people talk it's as though S. Koreans want nothing to do with Apple iPhones because supposedly Samsung flagship smartphones are considered much superior with all their fancy features. I really hope Apple knows what it is doing. Is this considered a good move on Apple's part? It sure will be amusing to see if the Apple store stays packed with customers.

Apple is all over here. it is seen as a premium brand- over Samsung. I teach at a university in Seoul and most students have iPhones and about half have iPads or Macs to take notes (or pretend to take notes). Not too long ago there was a piece in the Korean Herald (I think it was there) where the author wrote why Koreans think that apple should be here. Many Koreans want it, as noted by all of the Willy's and Frisbee (which looks remarkably like an Apple Store) stores in Korea (authorised retailers).

Templeton 84 comments · 8 Years

Good show.

boltsfan17 2294 comments · 12 Years

gmgravytrain said:

That's quite a surprise. They way people talk it's as though S. Koreans want nothing to do with Apple iPhones because supposedly Samsung flagship smartphones are considered much superior with all their fancy features. I really hope Apple knows what it is doing. Is this considered a good move on Apple's part? It sure will be amusing to see if the Apple store stays packed with customers.

Having spent a lot of time in Korea, Apple is extremely popular there. It's seen as a premium western brand and people in Korea love western things. I'm sure the new Apple store will be a huge hit with Koreans.