Rep. Cho Seung-rae even issued a statement… The rapid response to the overlapping local elections during the regime change is unknown. As Google and Apple are consistent with the in-app payment compulsory prevention law, which took effect on the 15th, the National Assembly is calming its anger.
Although the National Assembly should observe the position of the Korea Communications Commission since the law enforcement agency is the Korea Communications Commission, it is pointed out that it is necessary to actively respond if violations of the law are found. Rep. Cho Seung-rae, who led the passage of the law, even issued a statement in this regard.
However, it remains to be seen whether a prompt response is possible as the general atmosphere is chaotic due to the current regime change and the local elections are coming up in June.
At the plenary session held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul in August of last year, a vote on a bill to amend the Telecommunications Business Act, called the Google Gap Prevention Act, is being voted on. The bill was passed and the enforcement ordinance came into effect in March of the following year, but Google and Apple are trying to evade the law somehow. [Photo = Correspondent Kim Seong-jin]
According to the industry on the 22nd, both Google and Apple are not showing an active attitude to comply with the law even after the full-scale enforcement of the In-App Payment Compulsory Prevention Act.
Apple promised to present a detailed implementation plan of the law to the Korea Communications Commission in January, but there has been no clear move since. Google has virtually disallowed any other payment methods other than in-app payment or in-app third-party payment. If you do not comply with Googles payment policy, you will not be able to update from April, and from June it will be removed from Google Play. In both payment methods, a maximum of 26-30% of fees must be paid to Google, which puts a heavy burden on app developers.
Initially, the National Assembly proposed such a law to prevent forced in-app payment using the monopoly position of the app market. This includes concerns about the fact that Google and Apple are effectively forcing high fees under the pretext of in-app purchases. However, as Google announced that it would charge a fee of up to 26% for third-party payments, the National Assembly is also seriously concerned that the law may be shaken by global app market operators.
Rep. Cho Seung-rae, who led the passage of the In-App Payment Compulsory Prevention Act, issued a statement on the same day, urging Google to comply with the law. Rep. Cho said that Google has explicitly expressed its intention to lock the mobile ecosystem within the fence it has created. He pointed out that he hoped not to undermine the purpose of the law amendment to keep it as it is.
Rep. Cho also pointed out that President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol and the Presidential Transition Committee should clearly state their position on Googles actions. The statement emphasized that many domestic app developers, their workers, and content creators are just screaming to ensure a fair ecosystem and do not turn away from the voices of those who demand fairness and common sense.
As such, as concerns about Googles behavior are officially expressed in the National Assembly, it is noteworthy whether the National Assembly will take full-fledged action to reinforce legislation with the Korea Communications Commission. Basically, the Google In-App Purchase Compulsory Prevention Act itself has already been implemented, and the Korea Communications Commission is expected to play an important role as the ministry that actually applies the law is the Korea Communications Commission.
A member of the National Assemblys Office of Overdefense said that if there is a lack in the process of enforcing the law, the National Assembly can review the follow-up response plan in earnest, but basically, the KCC will take sanctions in case of a violation of the law. said to be the part that needs to be done.
However, it is questionable whether the National Assembly or the Korea Communications Commission will be able to respond promptly and drasticly, however, as overall chaos in government ministries and political circles is expected to continue until May when the next government takes office. Another variable is the fact that there is a local election in June, so a large number of parliamentarians offices must immediately start preparing for the related matters.
Another member of the National Assemblys Office of the National Defense Agency said that the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) is in a situation where the government has changed anyway, so it will be difficult to make a bold move right away. said to be part of it.
