SK Telecom said yesterday that it doesn’t intend to purse a controlling interest in a United States-based mobile carrier after reports earlier this week said that it was interested in Sprint Nextel.
SK Telecom’s shares have dropped ever since CNBC reported on Tuesday that it was in talks to buy Sprint Nextel. According to Reuters, the two mobile carriers were in talks about collaborating on technology, but not about an acquisition.
Yesterday the Korea Exchange asked SK Telecom to clarify media reports about the acquisition of Sprint Nextel, according to Reuters.
“We are studying various business opportunities in the United States but are not seeking to take control in (any) major U.S. mobile operator,” SK Telecom said in a filing to the local exchange.
Last year, Sprint Nextel reportedly spurned a $5 billion investment by SK Telecom and a group of private equity firms.
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