The South Korean Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning has banned the common practice of mobile manufacturers and networks putting un-removable apps on smartphones.

Telcos will now be required to make all pre-installed apps deletable, except for those that enable Wi-Fi connectivity, near-field communication, customer service, and an app store.

"The move aims to rectify an abnormal practice that causes inconvenience to smartphone users and causes unfair competition among industry players," said the ministry in a Korean-language press release.

It added that users will also benefit from the regulations in terms of battery life and data storage.

We're unlikely to see similar legislation in the US or the UK. Apple has famously never permitted carriers or networks to pre-install apps on the iPhone, and Android users can remove these apps by rooting and swapping out their handset software for a clean version, though the technical skills required make this a somewhat rare practice.