Apple has fired its South Korean boss, Dominique Oh, reportedly due to sluggish sales of its products there. Oh has been with the Cupertino company for just over a year, joining from LG Electronics where he oversaw the company’s Android and Windows Phone divisions.
“Apple terminated the contract with Oh last week,’’ Apple spokesman Steve Park said in a statement on Tuesday. “We acknowledge that there are many speculations surrounding Oh’s contract termination. But we can’t do more, it’s just a simple fact.”
The move follows Apple’s failure to compete with Samsung in the Korean smartphone market, where the company is criticized for its “stiffer stance” on after-sales services. Despite impressive sales of the iPhone 4S the world over, the device has failed to gain any traction in Korea.
However, one official, who chose not to be identified, said the contract termination is still surprising ahead of a big product launch:
“It’s very rare for Apple to fire a senior executive ahead of a key product launch. Korea is the tomb for Apple executives,’’ said an official who is knowledgeable about Apple-related issues, asking not to be identified.
The official said the decision was unilateral. “Oh wasn’t informed about the termination in advance,’’ he said.
Apple’s iOS software accounted for just 9.3% of the market share in Korea at the end of June, which is the lowest it’s been since the iPhone was introduced in 2007. In comparison, Android enjoys 89.7% of the market.
Source: Korea Times
