Minister Lee Jong-ho: "Explanation Needed on Whether YouTube and Netflix Price Increases Are Justified"

Year-End Press Conference Held on the 18th
Criticism of Foreign Platform Fee Increases
"Hope Big Tech Companies Will Consider Our Concerns"

Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT [Photo by Ministry of Science and ICT]

Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Science and ICT, recently criticized the overseas online platform companies such as YouTube and Netflix for raising their fees, saying, "It would have been better if they had explained why they had no choice but to raise the fees and helped users understand before doing so."

Minister Lee held a year-end press briefing at a restaurant near the Government Sejong Complex on the 18th.

On that day, in response to reporters' questions about the issue, he said, "The Ministry of Science and ICT negotiated with telecom companies to control communication costs, but as Google and Netflix raised their fees, the burden on users increased."

Netflix abolished its 'Basic Membership,' which allowed users to watch content without ads for 9,500 KRW per month, and YouTube's 'Premium Plan,' operated by Google, increased by more than 40% compared to before. No matter how many measures the government introduces to reduce household communication costs, if big tech companies raise their fees, it is practically difficult to control digital inflation.

In response, Minister Lee said, "Even if the usage fees are raised, I think there should have been an explanation as to whether the amount is reasonable," adding, "It is not easy for us to enforce anything forcibly, but we want to ensure that explanations are provided so that users can understand in terms of their benefits and cost increases."

He continued, "I hope that big tech companies will consider ways to minimize such burdens as much as possible."