LG Telecom, Korea's smallest mobile operator, unveiled Thursday the nation's first waterproof mobile phone, canU 502S, developed under alliance with Japanese firm Casio Computer.

"If dropped in a pool, tub or sink, this phone will survive in roughly thirty minutes since we sealed its tiny crevices with rubber packing," LG Telecom spokesman Kang Shin-koo said.

The phone has two big holes for a speaker and built-in camera module that were specially treated to prevent water from soaking into them. One of its strengths is that the model can endure shocks in case of accidental drops because of the materials used, which are resistant at shocks such as urethane and glass.

"Users will be offered a replaceable protector that can be inserted at the end of the phone as an additional safety catch. It is just like a bumper for a car," Kang said. The clamshell phone has a compass with a built-in direction sensor, a stopwatch, an MP3 player and a 1.3-megapixel camera.

LG will start selling the phone at a price of nearly USD 545$.