Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo reports that “Korea’s smartphone applications market will be unified in a single website from May next year,” with the country’s three operators – KT, LG Uplus and SK Telecom – joining forces with LG Electronics and Samsung to set up a “steering committee” for the project. The intention is to open a store on a trial basis in the first quarter of the year, before moving on to the full commercial launch.

The aim is to create a unified standard for apps, meaning that customers can download apps regardless of their mobile operator or the smartphone that they use. No comment has been made on how this will be achieved, including how it will work on a technical level. The work is being led by Lee Jin-woo Lee, the director of data operations for SK Telecom.

KT and SK Telecom are represented at board-level in the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC), while LG Uplus recently also became a member. Samsung and LG are also backing WAC.