A cold day in Seoul. Photo: KT
FORTUNE — In contrast to the ho-hum launch of the iPad mini in China, the iPhone 5 made a pretty good splash Friday in South Korea, home of Apple’s (AAPL) chief smartphone rival, Samsung.
According to the local Yonhap News Agency, the launch — delayed from Apple’s original schedule due to “procedural errors” registering the device with the government — managed to draw crowds despite sub-zero winter temperatures.
SK Telecom (KRX), South Korea’s largest carrier, held a pre-dawn launch party with munchies and live music. Rival KT (KT), the No. 2 carrier, reported that pre-orders in the first two hours topped the record set a year earlier by the iPhone 4S.
Moody’s Investors Service estimates that as of October, Apple’s iPhone had an 11% market share among the country’s 31.4 million smartphone users.
Below: Video of the KT launch.