"Line Yahoo Incident, No More Standing By"...Political Circles Urge Government for Active Response

In relation to the LINE Yahoo incident, the political sphere has urged the government to take active measures, stating that "the situation is serious."

On the 9th, Yoon Sang-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly, saying, "I am here to urge the governments of both Korea and Japan to respond swiftly to the rapidly unfolding LINE Yahoo incident," and emphasized, "Our government must no longer stand idly by."

In the messenger service 'LINE' operated by LINE Yahoo, the only Korean director on the board was excluded, and the CEO of LINE Yahoo announced that the consignment relationship with Naver would also be sequentially terminated, effectively marking the start of Naver's removal from LINE Yahoo.

Yoon Sang-hyun, Member of the People Power Party. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Regarding this incident, Rep. Yoon stated, "I have urged our government to promptly identify the causes and background of why the Japanese public and private sectors are simultaneously pressuring an overseas company to this extent," adding, "Last week, I also proposed forming an intergovernmental task force involving the private sector, government, and National Assembly, and met with Japanese LDP lawmakers Matsukawa Rui and Sato Kei to highlight the urgency and importance of finding a solution to the LINE Yahoo incident." However, concerning the lack of visible government action, he said, "Our government must no longer stand idly by," and stressed, "Instead of merely waiting for Naver's position and judgment, our government must actively step in to protect domestic companies expanding overseas and to promptly block the ripple effects on Korea-Japan relations."

Regarding Japan's tough response, Rep. Yoon said, "The Japanese government is taking this incident seriously not only because it is extremely sensitive about information security domestically but also because it is necessary to verify whether they consider the hacking perpetrators to be hostile countries such as North Korea or China," and added, "I believe our government should launch a joint investigation with the Japanese government and Naver to ascertain the facts."

Lee Hae-min, elected member of the Party for National Innovation [Photo by Yonhap News]

He stated, "Through a joint investigation, we must uncover the truth and find a cautious and rational solution to dispel misunderstandings arising from this incident," and emphasized, "It is time to take immediate action to protect domestic companies expanding overseas and to prevent the deterioration of Korea-Japan relations."

Lee Hae-min, a member-elect of the Innovation Party of Korea, also held a press conference in the morning, saying, "Our country's companies that have grown in Japan are about to be taken over by Japan," and questioned, "What message is the government sending to various Japanese companies closely watching the full story of this incident, to our domestic companies that have devoted everything to expanding into Japan, and to Korean startups preparing for global expansion with dreams of becoming unicorns?" Lee criticized, "Even if our companies face unfair demands in the host country, is the Korean government saying there is nothing it can do and that they should endure on their own?" and asked, "Does the Korean government not know how to protest and demand corrective measures?" He urged, "In this silent technological battlefield between nations, please do not cut off the future sprouts of Korea struggling desperately to survive."

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min criticized via social media regarding the LINE Yahoo incident, saying, "Forcing the sale of shares in a friendly country's company by the Japanese government is a violent act far removed from the global standards of capitalist market economies," and condemned, "Naver is at risk of being beaten down by the Japanese government and losing ownership and management rights, yet what use is it to closely consult with Naver, the unilateral victim, without a single protest or warning against the perpetrator, the Japanese government?" He added, "This matter requires the president and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strongly protest to the Japanese government and protect our companies' overseas investments," and stated, "If our government responds strongly, Naver, which is currently suffering unilaterally, will also gain negotiating power."