[2020 National Audit] Google Perjury Controversy "Urging Opposition to Legislation in the Game Industry"

Lim Jae-hyun, Executive Director of Google Korea, appeared as a witness at the comprehensive government audit on the Office for Government Policy Coordination held at the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee on the 22nd, responding to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] Allegations have been raised that Google pressured some game companies to oppose the "Amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act," known as the Google Gapjil Prevention Act.

On the 22nd, Han Junho, a member of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Communications Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, revealed a recording of a conversation with a game company official during a government audit.

In the disclosed recording, the official said, "It would be good if you could submit opposing opinions on the amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act, which Representative Han proposed," adding, "It would be helpful if you could emphasize how it makes business more difficult."

Im Jaehyun, Executive Director of Google Korea, who appeared as a witness, denied ever pressuring anyone to oppose the bill, which sparked controversy over perjury.

Representative Han stated, "We must deliver a protest letter to Google regarding the perjury at the committee level," and pointed out, "This is a clear infringement on legislative rights by Google and cannot be overlooked."

Han also said, "Google is conducting media play by claiming that the proposed bill would impose enormous costs on game companies, placing excessive burdens on developers," adding, "Google is pressuring game companies out of fear that it will lose market dominance due to the content equal access right."

The "Amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act," which Han Junho proposed last month, aims to grant the "content equal access right," which mandates content provision and prohibits discrimination so that both users and businesses can access mobile content without discrimination.

According to the proposed bill, value-added telecommunications service providers who register and sell mobile content must provide the content to other app market operators if they provide it to one app market operator. It also defines unfair coercion or discrimination by app market operators such as Google or Apple against value-added telecommunications service providers as prohibited acts.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.