[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has approved Google’s proposed corrective measures aimed at resolving the company’s alleged tying practices, paving the way for the domestic launch of “YouTube Premium Lite”—a low-cost plan that removes video ads without including YouTube Music.
The KFTC announced on the 27th that it has finalized a consent decision regarding Google’s suspected violation of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act. Under the consent decision framework, cases are closed without determining illegality when a company voluntarily proposes appropriate remedies that restore competition or address consumer harm.
As a result of the decision, Google will introduce a standalone product focused solely on an enhanced video-viewing experience, in addition to the existing “YouTube Premium,” which bundles YouTube video services with YouTube Music. The move follows concerns that Google’s tying practices limited consumer choice and hindered competition in the Korean music-streaming market, affecting platforms such as Melon and Genie Music.
The newly introduced YouTube Premium Lite will be priced at 8,500 KRW per month for Android users—more than 40% lower than the current YouTube Premium subscription fee of 14,900 KRW.
Although Google’s initial proposal offered only ad-free viewing, the finalized plan includes background play and offline downloads, providing Korean consumers with more favorable features than the Lite version available in overseas markets, which typically includes only ad removal.
Google has also agreed to implement price-stabilization measures, committing not to raise the existing YouTube Premium price for at least one year following the launch of Premium Lite.
In addition, Google will contribute 30 billion KRW to support the local music ecosystem through a partnership with EBS. Using this fund, EBS plans to revive the free live-performance program “Space Gonggam” and restart the “Hello Rookie” initiative to discover emerging musical talent.
Alphabiz Reporter Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
