Apple's Korean subsidiary discloses its performance in Korea? IT industry officials criticize: The figures are ridiculous

Apple's South Korean unit has come under fire for exaggerating the number of jobs it has created since it opened in 1998, IT industry sources told The Korea Times on Tuesday.

They said its claim that it had contributed to the creation of 325,000 jobs and helped South Korea's economic growth was unconvincing given that the company had only 500 employees. Industry sources said Apple's Korean subsidiary exaggerated the figure by saying it indirectly created jobs at business partners such as POSCO, as well as Netmarble, Kakao Bank and other IT companies that used the App Store ecosystem.

“This calculation is ridiculous," said an official at a South Korean smartphone maker who declined to be named. “To paraphrase Apple Korea, if a company's CEO's driver fills up his car at a gas station, the company may be able to say it indirectly employs a worker at the gas station."

Apple Korea said on its website that it started operations in South Korea 20 years ago with just two employees but now has 500 employees, including designers and engineers.

The company also said it has created 125,000 jobs indirectly through partners such as POSCO and Poongsan Corporation, and 200,000 jobs through its app store ecosystem.

Apple Korea added that Kakao Bank has become an innovative fintech company by providing financial services through iPhones and iPads.

This is the first time that Apple Korea has disclosed detailed data related to employment. However, an official from a Korean game company said that Apple Korea's statement is difficult to understand. Google also operates an app store. It is ridiculous for Apple to make such a statement, as if its app store is the only store that contributes to the employment of game developers. In this case, I think semiconductor manufacturers have helped create more jobs because their products contribute to the production of smartphones.

Officials also claimed that Apple had shown "double-dealing," noting that Apple CEO Tim Cook told U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday that the new tariffs would make it difficult for Apple to compete with Samsung Electronics.

Apple's "unfair" policies in South Korea have sparked a series of controversies. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) of Korea has investigated the company, accusing it of abusing its strong market position to shift the burden of advertising costs and other expenses to South Korea's mobile operators. In July, Apple Korea vowed to correct these violations and asked the FTC to stop the review process.

The company has also faced protests from smartphone retailers who claim that Apple has pressured them to buy iPhone demo units that are used only for demonstrations and other promotional purposes.