U.S. computer giant Apple succumbed to Seoul`s pressure to recall its first-generation iPod Nano following a series of reports of alleged battery explosion of the popular MP3 players, the government said yesterday.

It would be the first time in the world that Apple would recall its iPod Nano MP3 players.

The Korea Herald first reported on June 25 that the government had asked Apple to recall its first-generation iPod Nano models, citing consumer concerns over its safety.

Four cases of iPod Nano batteries overheating or exploding have been reported since December in Korea.

Apple Korea rejected the call, instead offering to replace defective iPod Nano products as the company did in Japan where similar cases were reported.



With a series of media reports following the report of The Korea Herald, Apple said it would replace the batteries and shells of its first-generation iPod Nano with new ones.

"Customers who are concerned about possible overheating of the battery can get it exchanged," Park In-kyu, an official with the Korea Agency for Technology & Standards, told The Korea Herald, citing a document sent by Apple Korea on July 7.

"If Apple had delayed recalls, its image would have suffered a blow," he said.

Apple`s abrupt turnaround came as Apple plans to launch its iPhone models for the first time in Korea.

The country`s two biggest mobile carriers - KT and SK Telecom - are in talks with Apple to roll out iPhone 3G and iPhone 3Gs, industry sources said.

Apple has been under fire for being tight-lipped about battery incidents, fueling public concern about safety of the product.

Apple Korea sold 155,000 units of the iPod Nano between October 2005 and December 2006. Apple ranks second in the Korean MP3 player market, trailing Samsung.

Two Apple executives plan to visit Seoul late this month to brief Korean government officials on the issue, he said.

Park Jeong-hoon, a spokesperson of Apple Korea, was not available for comments yesterday.

Apple iPods use lithium-ion batteries, which are common in consumer electronics such as mobile phones and personal computers.

Lithium-ion batteries have been blamed for a series of fires in laptop computers, which forced electronics makers such as Dell to recall their products.

To address public concerns over potential hazards relating to lithium-ion batteries, the Korean government said last month that it planned to toughen safety rules. Effective July, all lithium-ion battery products must undergo rigorous testing to ensure they comply with safety standards regarding the ability to withstand heat, high humidity and impacts.

Over the past five years, there have been 46 instances where batteries overheated or exploded, according to government statistics.

(hjjin@heraldm.com)



By Jin Hyun-joo