By Kang Yoon-seung
SEJONG, Aug. 16 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s antitrust regulator has sent a formal letter to Google LLC informing them of a penalty of 42.1 billion won (US$31.4 million) for unfair business practices that bolstered their power in the local mobile gaming app market.
In April, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) took action against Google and its regional divisions for making questionable deals with South Korean mobile game companies between June 2016 and April 2018, which hindered their ability to launch content on One Store, a domestic app market in South Korea.
The notification was sent to the U.S. firm in late July.
The FTC has also ordered Google to revise their agreements with local mobile game developers and set up an internal monitoring system that keeps an eye on fair-trade issues in the domestic app market. Google must give the FTC a report on the results of the system.
“A monopolistic app market can have a negative effect on all aspects of the mobile ecosystem, and restoring competition in the market is essential,” the FTC said in a statement. “The latest measure is significant as it serves as a deterrent to Google’s dominance, a major global player, and provides a basis for fair competition in the app market.”
The regulator said they will continue to carefully watch Google’s implementation of corrective measures.
colin@yna.co.kr
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