Report: iPod a Failure in South Korea

While Apple may lead the market just about everywhere it sells the iPod digital music player, in at least one country it has a lot of ground to make up. In South Korea, Apple has a 1.8 percent market share, the smallest of any of its markets according to GfK Marketing Services Korea. iRiver leads the pack with 35 percent, followed by Samsung with 14 percent, and Cowon with 13 percent share.

Analysts say what is behind the iPod's failure in the South Korean market is its Western minimalist style. Consumers in Asian countries have traditionally opted for tech gadgets with more bells and whistles, and MP3 players are apparently no exception. In Japan, while the iPod still leads with 36 percent of the market, it is nowhere near the domination Apple has in the rest of the Western world.

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