Seoul, Korea, 16 December, 2008 – SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, KSE: 017670) and Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the official launch of the BlackBerry® solution in Korea at an event held at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul. SK Telecom will initially offer the BlackBerry® Bold™ smartphone and the BlackBerry® Enterprise Server software to business customers in Korea.

The BlackBerry® solution from RIM brings together smartphones, software and services and is currently being used by more than 20 million subscribers in over 150 markets around the world. The BlackBerry solution provides customers with powerful email, messaging, phone, organizer, web browsing and multimedia features, as well as access to thousands of mobile business and lifestyle applications. Mobile users will be able to enjoy the freedom and productivity benefits of the BlackBerry solution by staying connected to the people and information that matter most to them.

SK Telecom plans to begin providing the BlackBerry Bold smartphone to corporate customers by the end of this month. Domestic and multinational companies will be able to purchase this innovative smartphone at around 800,000 won (excluding VAT) and a special discount price of around 700,000 won with subsidy applied. An additional data plan for BlackBerry service is required, which will be priced at 26,000 won monthly on top of rate plans for voice and data. 

With the introduction of the BlackBerry solution, SK Telecom is planning to penetrate the corporate market. SK Telecom expects the introduction of BlackBerry Bold smartphones in Korea will help empower its position in the enterprise mobility market, which represents tremendous growth potential and opportunities.

"SK Telecom anticipates that the new addition of the BlackBerry Bold and services will provide great convenience to our corporate customers and help expand Korea’s smartphone market. We expect BlackBerry smartphones to become a must-have item for businesspeople in Korea," said Sung Min Ha, President of MNO Biz Company at SK Telecom.

"It is with great pleasure that RIM announces the launch of the BlackBerry Bold smartphone and BlackBerry Enterprise Server together with SK Telecom. The industry-leading BlackBerry platform offers Korean business customers substantial opportunities for communications and productivity enhancements and we expect it will be well received in the market," said Norm Lo, Vice President of Asia Pacific at RIM.