Sony Computer Entertainment Korea (SCEK) announced Wednesday it will delay the launch of its PlayStation Portable (PSP) in the local market while it goes on sale in North America from March 24 as planned. It added it will announce details of the Korean launch of PSP, including the price, next month.

Korean consumers had hoped to be among the first to buy the handheld gaming device when the company announced earlier it was planning to release the product simultaneously here and in the U.S.

But escalating demand changed the situation. The PSP has been so popular in Japan since its launch late last year that Sony is finding it difficult to meet demand. SCEK said initial orders were 1 million units in the U.S. alone, and the supply shortage led to a delay in Korea.

Apple Computer Korea also reversed a decision announced on Feb. 1 to reduce the price of its iPod MP3 player by W44,000 (US$44) to 88,000. On Feb. 14, iPods except for the cheaper iPod Shuffle model went back to the old price. The company said that it agreed with headquarters to slash prices but had to reverse the cuts over criticism of unfairness to other Asian markets.

(Baek Gang-young, young100@chosun.com )