Apple Inc. has no plans to sell its 3G iPhone in Korea, for now, at least, the company's Korean unit announced last week, The Korea Herald reported.

Apple unveiled its 3G iPhone June 9, and will initially sell it in 22 countries and regions. Korea is not included in the first 22. By the end of 2008, it will sell the phone in 70 countries.

The eight gigabyte model will cost US$199, and a 16 gigabyte model will sell for $299.

Industry sources told The Korea Herald that Apple has talked with three mobile carriers in Korea, SK Telecom, KTF and LG Telecom. However, those experts said they would not make any sort of prediction as to when the phone would enter the market, mainly due to requirements for Korean-made software standard WIPI (Wireless Internet Platform Interoperability). Korean mobile phones that can browse the Internet are required to carry WIPI, which phone manufacturers outside Korea have said is time-consuming and costly, The Korea Herald reported.

KTF, Korea's number two mobile carrier, would like to offer the iPhone to gain a better foothold in the market, industry experts told The Korea Herald; however, a spokesperson with the company told the newspaper that “little headway has been made regarding the distribution of the iPhone in Korea,” according to the article posted on Asia Media.