Apple opens first store in South Korea amid fanfare

Hundreds of South Koreans on Saturday waited hours for the opening of Apple's first store in southern Seoul.

About 300 people lined up to be among the first in the country to get inside Apple Garosugil in the affluent southern district of Gangnam.

Choi Ji-eon, an 18-year-old who is preparing to study abroad, said he arrived in front of the new store around 3 p.m. on Friday and later waited in a sleeping bag as he was shivering with cold at night, Yonhap News Agency reported.

"I would like to join this monumental moment, though I did not intend to buy any specific product," Choi said.

Apple said the new store features its full line of products and offers in-store programming and services together so people can experience them for the first time all in one place.

Angela Ahrendts, Apple's senior vice president of Retail, tweeted on Saturday, "Awestruck by the Apple fans in Seoul who braved beyond freezing temperatures to join us at Apple Garosugil this morning!"

The temperature in Seoul fell to minus 15 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

Hundreds of people entered the new store at 10 a.m. after a countdown and some of them exchanged hi-fives with Apple employees.