[2020 National Audit] KT Responds "Different Issue" to Criticism of Netflix Partnership Weakening Korean OTT

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] KT drew a line on the criticism regarding its partnership with Netflix raised during the National Assembly audit held on the 8th, stating it is a "somewhat different issue."

During the audit, Jun-ho Han, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, questioned, "There are criticisms that KT's partnership with Netflix is weakening the competitiveness of native OTT services and disrupting the media ecosystem. Please clarify your position on this."

Kang Guk-hyun, KT's Customer Division Head who attended as a witness, responded, "It is a somewhat different issue," adding, "It reflects that YouTube and Netflix account for over 70% of the nation's video traffic." Kang also emphasized, "KT operates the OTT service Season based on paid subscribers and competes fairly in the market."

Earlier, the Broadcasting Association and the Terrestrial Broadcasting Association criticized KT, demanding the withdrawal of its partnership with Netflix, warning that "the domestic media ecosystem could collapse."