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The iPhone and canned sesame leaves: “They have the same toes?”

Following Apple’s release of its new iPhone 4 on Monday, satirical posts by Internet users about how the model copied Korean product designs have been enjoying a wave of popularity. Internet users are claiming that the iPhone 4’s design, which differs from previous products with its angular corners and gold material, resembles such things as the square can of Sempio sesame leaves, the Cairs air purifier by Woongjin Coway, and a subway ticket gate. Many posted photographic “evidence” to support their claims.


The flurry of posts started when more than 240 thousand people saw a post entitled “The iPhone 4 Design Plagiarism Controversy” (wikitree.co.kr/main/news_view.php?id=9960), which was posted Wednesday morning by a Netizen along with photographs of products resembling the iPhone 4 and distributed through the social networking service Twitter. In their replies, Internet users expressed their amusement, with comments like “The feeling of grip on the canned sesame leaves is no different from the iPhone” and “I would like to post evidence shots of canned sesame leaves.”

Events have even been organized in connection with the satirical wave. Sempio says that starting at noon on Thursday, it is inviting the posting of photographs taken with its canned sesame leaves to its website (sempio.com). The first place winner will receive an iPhone 4, while another 100 people will receive side dish gift sets including canned sesame leaves. A Sempio official said, “Since canned sesame leaves received unexpected attention due to the iPhone craze, we ended up planning a kind of ‘guerrilla event’ to answer the call.”

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]
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