Apple's first retail store in South Korea will open in Samsung's back garden

Apple has chosen a location for its first South Korean retail store, in a move that sees the Cupertino company boldly setting up shop in the very heart of Samsung's homeland.

In a statement, Apple confirmed that it is recruiting staff members for a new Apple Store, to be built in the capital city of Seoul. While Apple has previously sold iPhones, Macs and iPads in South Korea through third-party resellers and via its online store, the new store will be the first official Apple retail outlet in the country.

The exact spot for the store has yet to be confirmed, but it appears it will be constructed in the city's Southern district. At time of writing, a total of 14 job vacancies for the planned store are listed on Apple's website, including management roles, Genius bar advisers and service specialists.

"We're excited about opening our first Apple Store in Korea, one of the world's economic centres and a leader in telecommunication and technology, with a vibrant K-culture," read the statement (via Reuters). "We're now hiring the team that will offer our customers in Seoul the service, education and entertainment that is loved by Apple customers around the world."

A recent report from AppleInsider claimed that Apple was considering several locations around the city, with the Gangam and Garosu-gil districts noted as potential sites for the company's next global expansion in the retail sector. The same report also suggested that the store could open its doors by November.

Should Apple muscle its way into Seoul's southern districts, the new store would be just 13 miles away from "Samsung Digital City" in Suwon − a large campus that contains Samsung's main headquarters across four towering office blocks and over 100 smaller buildings. Samsung noted that the site boasted around 35,000 employees as of 2014.