Korean mobile operator SK Planet has formed a business alliance with six other Korean tech firms to support the use of NFC technology throughout the country, according to the Korean Herald.

The “NFC Biz Partner Group” brings together NFC specialists SK C&C, Ubivelox, QnSolv, Mcom, Harex Infotech, AT Solution and SK Planet, which itself is a subsidiary of SK Telecom, Korea’s largest mobile operator.

According to the Herald, the group will work together to develop and manage NFC-related technologies and applications such as mobile payments, universal subscriber identity module and NFC tags. The group will also support other developers making NFC applications on SK Planet’s SIM-based open-source “Smart Touch” platform, and will offer tech support and consulting to help introduce these solutions into the service industry.

The organization is already working with Samsung Card and Shinsegae, a Korean department store franchise, to commercially launch NFC-enabled mobile payments, reports the Herald.

SK Planet’s partners in the NFC Biz Partner Group include:

• SK C&C, an IT outsourcing firm that will help establish the platform with SK Planet.

• Ubivelox, a software developer for the banking and auto industry that will develop USIM applications.

• QnSolv, a mobile tag development company.

• Mcom, an SK partner that specializes in the operation of smart payment services in retail.

• Harex Infotech, an application and service provider of mobile payments.

• AT Solution, a developer of applications for credit card and banking services.

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