The Strategy Analytics states that industrial and regulatory barricades are fast approaching South Korea. As a result, this could allow more foreign brands to penetrate through the Korean market. Some smartphone retailers such as Nokia and Blackberry are already falling in line to earn their own space in the local market aside from the dominating Samsung, LG and Pantech.

Alex Spektor, Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, “South Korea is an attractive investment for foreign handset brands. Consumers in South Korea will buy more than 20 million cellphones in 2009 at prices well above the global average. Several technological and regulatory barriers are falling down and there is currently an unprecedented opportunity for overseas players to introduce their 3G smartphones to this potentially lucrative market.”