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Google Korea's New Chief: Why a Samsung and Apple Veteran Now Leads

Google Korea has a new leader with serious tech credentials. Yoon Koo, who's worked at giants like Samsung and Apple, is taking the helm as managing director. His big focus will be pushing Google's AI tools in South Korea's competitive market. In related news, Google is also introducing a cheaper, video-only YouTube Premium option there after a fair trade probe.

Key Points: Google Korea Appoints Ex-Samsung Apple Executive Yoon Koo as Chief

  • Yoon Koo brings over 20 years of IT experience from Microsoft, Samsung, and Apple
  • He will focus on expanding Google's AI presence in the dynamic Korean market
  • Google also plans to launch a cheaper YouTube Premium Lite subscription in Korea
  • The new subscription is a corrective measure following an antitrust investigation
2 min read

Google Korea names ex-Samsung, Apple Korea executive as new chief

Google Korea names industry veteran Yoon Koo, formerly of Samsung and Apple, as its new managing director to lead AI expansion and oversee advertising sales.

"My mission is clear: to ensure Google is a true partner in Korea's success. - Yoon Koo"

Seoul, Dec 12

Google Korea said on Friday it has appointed Yoon Koo, also known as Brandon Yoon, as its new head.

Yoon will serve as country managing director starting Jan. 5 and will oversee the company's advertising sales operations, according to Google Korea, reports Yonhap news agency.

He is widely regarded as an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience in the Korean and US information technology (IT) and digital transformation sectors, having held leadership roles at Microsoft Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and Apple Korea.

"We expect Yoon's extensive experience and leadership to help accelerate Google Korea's future growth momentum," Google Korea said.

Yoon said he would work to expand Google's artificial intelligence (AI) presence in Korea, which he described as one of the world's most dynamic and innovative markets.

"My mission is clear: to ensure Google is a true partner in Korea's success," he wrote in a LinkedIn post.

"We will aggressively leverage the momentum of Gemini and AI to democratize growth, foster innovation, and empower our strategic customers spanning global conglomerates, small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and start-ups to achieve their greatest ambitions."

Meanwhile, Google will launch a cheaper version of its YouTube Premium subscription without its music streaming component in South Korea, the country's antitrust watchdog said Thursday, following months of investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices.

The move is part of a self-proposed corrective measure agreed upon by the U.S. tech giant and the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), which has been probing the company over suspicions that bundling YouTube Music with YouTube Premium violated fair trade rules.

Under the decision, Google will introduce YouTube Premium Lite, a video-only subscription that includes advertisement removal, background playback and offline viewing services, the FTC said. Existing YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium subscriptions will continue to be available.

YouTube Premium Lite is expected to be priced at 8,500 won ($5.80) per month for Android and web users and 10,900 won per month for iOS users, the FTC said. YouTube Premium currently costs 14,900 won, while YouTube Music is offered separately for 11,990 won per month.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
The YouTube Premium Lite news is more relevant to me. 8,500 won is about ₹350-400? That's still quite expensive compared to Indian subscription prices. Our YouTube Premium family plan is much more affordable. Good that regulators are acting against bundling.
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Priya S
"Democratize growth" – that's a nice phrase. But will this AI push actually help small businesses in Korea, or just the big chaebols? In India, we need tech giants to truly partner with our MSME sector, not just use them as data points.
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Vikram M
Korea's antitrust watchdog is doing what our CCI should do more aggressively. Forcing Google to unbundle services is pro-consumer. We have similar issues with app store policies and pre-installed apps. Hope Indian regulators are taking notes.
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Rohit P
‍♂️ 20 years experience is impressive. But sometimes these high-profile appointments don't trickle down to better products for the end user. Just hope the focus on Korea doesn't mean less attention on developing markets like India. We are a dynamic market too!
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Ananya R
The different pricing for iOS users (10,900 won) is telling. Apple's ecosystem tax is a global issue. In India, we feel it too with app purchases and subscriptions. More power to regulators who challenge these practices.

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