14 DAY TRIAL // We reported a few weeks ago that Motorola had already informed customers that it would close its operations in most European and Asian countries.
Motorola claims that it wants to streamline its business and support system, which is why it needs to close multiple dedicated websites for various countries.
Today, the US-based company made a similar statement for The Next Web, announcing its withdrawal from the South Korean market.
“On December 10th, we began communicating to staff in Korea our plans to close most of our operations in Korea, including our research and development and consumer mobile device marketing organization. The changes in Korea reflect our plans to consolidate our global R&D efforts to foster collaboration, and to focus more attention on markets where we are best positioned to compete effectively.”
However, it looks like Motorola will continue to run some operations in Samsung’s home country, though it will not compete directly with any of the world’s major handset markers.
“Our Home business and iDEN go-to-market operations will continue operating in Korea. We will also continue to provide customer service and warranty support for mobile devices that have been sold in Korea.”
Motorola did not offer too many details on the reasons behind its decision, though it did say it was one difficult to make.
No word on the number of employees that will be affected by this move; the company confirmed that about 10% of them would be relocated. Stay tuned for more updates on the matter.
“This was a difficult but necessary decision. We are very proud of the work done by our talented teams in Korea, and the many contributions they have made to our business over the years. We will offer relocation to about 10% of our R&D staff there. For other employees we will strive to make the transition as smooth as possible.”