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South Korea: Watchdog sets up antitrust team to probe Naver, Google

 |  November 20, 2019

South Korea’s antitrust watchdog is set to investigate unfair business practices by dominant tech firms through a new special task force team, officials said on Tuesday, November 19.

The country’s largest search engine firm Naver is likely to become the first target, they noted. Led by Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) secretary-general Chae Kyu-ha, the 15-member team will examine separate categories – online platforms, mobile services and intellectual property rights.

The online platform subcommittee will monitor whether the operators, such as Naver, Daum, and Google, wield their control over adjacent or downstream markets through discrimination or exclusive dealing, meaning disallowing their partners to do business with rivals.

The mobile services team will check whether firms which enjoy a monopoly, such as Samsung and Apple, hinder competitors from entering the market through a tie-in sale or exclusive dealing.

Full Content: The Phnom Penh Post

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