"In order to make them water resistant, we'd need to make the phones heavier and thicker, so we aren't thinking of that,” says LG Electronics. Samsung Electronics, meanwhile, says it is impossible to close up the earphone pack, speaker and microphone holes and external input devices.

The two firms report their repair centers flooded, so to speak, with waterlogged mobile phones once the June rainy season starts. They say most of them malfunction because users do not take proper precautions.

"Water causes the cell phone's circuit board to discharge or short-circuit or the board itself to corrode,” a staff member at a Samsung service center in Seoul's Gangnam district said. “Especially with sea water and drinks, even after the liquid evaporates, salt and sugar can cause fatal problems."

When your phone gets wet, it's best to immediately separate the battery from the phone to stop the current from reaching the main handset and leave the phone with a service center. In many instances users have carelessly pressed the power button of their phone, believing the phone to be dry, only for the remaining liquid to spark a short circuit and the phone to be beyond repair. The warranty of handset makers does not cover water damage, which is deemed to be the user’s fault, so the repair costs come out of the owner’s pocket.

(englishnews@chosun.com )