Apple headed to South Korea to fight off US antitrust case

Neither Samsung or the US Department of Justice could stop the request in US courts to try to get data crucial to Apple’s US antitrust defense from the top of Samsung’s corporate structure in South Korea.

Apple is on trial for allegedly stifling competition through proprietary hardware and software. The US Department of Justice seeks to prove that Apple keeps companies like Samsung from easily serving its customer base.

The trial has barely entered the evidence gathering phase, and Samsung’s US headquarters refused to cooperate. So, Apple asked for and has now been approved to utilize the Hague Convention to get the South Korean Government involved, and force Samsung’s compliance in that country.

AppleInsider has seen the brief document submission showing that the request was approved. It states that “the court shall execute the submitted Letter of Request For International Judicial Assistance.”

Basically, Samsung says it can’t hand over evidence that is stored within the South Korean parent company’s databases. Since it isn’t part of Samsung America, it hoped that the court would agree that it isn’t relevant.

The DOJ also complained that Apple’s request should be denied. It argued that Apple waited too long to submit the filing.

Neither argument landed and Apple’s request was narrow enough that it was granted. Now, the court will submit a request to the South Korean government, asking it to compel Samsung to hand over relevant documents.

This doesn’t mean Apple will have its way just yet. The South Korean government could disagree with the scope of the request or deny it altogether. There’s also a chance Samsung could fight back in Korea as well.

It is very early days for this case. Apple was sued by the DOJ in March 2024, and early evidence requests were made in October 2025.

Expect that this case will take the better part of the next decade to reach some kind of conclusion.