[2025 Audit] Netflix, Meta, Google, Apple... Science and ICT Committee Signals Intense Scrutiny of Big Tech

More than 20 General Witnesses, Including Corporate Executives, to Testify on October 14
Apple In-App Payment Fees and Netflix Price Hikes Under Scrutiny
Focus Expected on Abuse of Power and Consumer Protection

At the National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Communications Committee's national audit to be held on October 14, a concentrated round of questioning is expected to target big tech companies with significant dominance and influence in the domestic digital market.

Photo of the National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Communications Committee National Audit. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

On this day, more than 20 executives from both domestic and international IT companies, including major online platform operators such as Netflix, Google, and Meta, have been summoned as witnesses. Lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties are expected to conduct sharp inquiries into issues such as unfair trade practices, deceptive acts against consumers, and user protection by these companies.

From Netflix, Reginald Shawn Thompson, CEO of Netflix Korea, Kang Donghan, Vice President and Head of Content at Netflix, and Jung Kyohwa, Head of Policy and Legal Affairs at Netflix Korea, have been summoned as witnesses.

Netflix, the leading online video service (OTT) provider in Korea, raised the price of its ad-supported subscription plan in May from 5,500 won to 7,000 won per month, an increase of 27.3%. There have been ongoing concerns that Netflix’s exclusive hold on domestic content is having a negative impact on the structure of the content market and the production ecosystem.

Mark Lee, President of Apple Korea, has also been summoned as a witness. Debates are expected to arise over excessive in-app payment fees imposed on application developers and whether Apple has abused its market position as an app marketplace operator.

YouTube, the most widely used video platform in Korea, is likely to be questioned over its lax management of issues such as celebrity impersonation investment scams and false advertising. In this regard, Wilson White, Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Google Asia-Pacific, and Lee Sanghyun, Global Director of Platform Policy at Google Korea, will appear as witnesses.

Committee members will also question Heo Wook, Deputy CEO of Facebook Korea, and Lee Heejin, Head of Legal Affairs at Meta, regarding the reasons behind account suspensions and bans on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

Concerns about the safety of online platforms primarily used by people in their teens and twenties will also be raised. Kim Jongyun, CEO of Scatter Lab, which operates ZetaAI, will be questioned about the impact on underage users, while Jung Jaehoon, Head of Operations at TikTok Korea (ByteDance LLC), is expected to be asked about TikTok’s impact on domestic industry and users.

Meanwhile, large-scale hacking incidents that have caused significant social repercussions are expected to be addressed in detail at the national audit scheduled for October 21.

Yoo Youngsang, CEO of SK Telecom; Kim Youngseop, CEO of KT; Hong Beomsik, CEO of LG Uplus; and Cho Jwajin, CEO of Lotte Card, are scheduled to attend the October 21 committee audit in connection with the hacking incidents.