Interview with Lee Sang-hyun, Global Director of Google Platform and Device Policies:
“Goal is to grow sustainably and healthily with users and developers”
“Not limited to agreements… considering various options”
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Lee Sang-hyun, Global Director of Google Platform and Device Policies./Provided by Google,
, ‘ “Google is a platform where users and developers meet. Users want to find their favorite apps on Google Play, and developers aim to find users who can enjoy their apps, and Google’s role is to introduce and mediate them in the middle. In the same context, I want to play a pivotal role in helping Korean webtoons expand overseas,”‘
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, ‘Lee Sang-hyun, Global Director of Google Platform and Device Policies, spoke with ChosunBiz at Google’s Asia-Pacific (APAC) office in Singapore on the 14th. This director oversees policy sectors in major markets such as India, Japan, the UK, Brazil, and beyond in relation to the overall mobile ecosystem including Google Pixel, Android, and Chrome.’,
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, ‘Last September, Google Play and the Korea Webtoon Industry Association signed a long-term cooperation agreement to revitalize the webtoon industry. As part of this, on the 12th of last month, in Bengaluru, India, the Korea Webtoon Industry Association and webtoon platform ‘Dashtoon’ formed a partnership. Dashtoon is an India-based startup founded in 2022 in San Francisco, the United States. Google Play connected Dashtoon and the Korea Webtoon Industry Association to expand opportunities for Korean webtoon creators and companies to enter overseas markets. Global users can now easily access Korean webtoon content through Dashtoon.’,
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, ‘This director said, “Google’s goal is to grow sustainably and healthily with users and developers.” He added, “After signing a business agreement (MOU) with the Korea Webtoon Industry Association last year, we put a lot of thought into the overseas expansion of Korean webtoon content and ways to revitalize the webtoon industry.” He also mentioned, “Previously, there were cases where technology companies took the lead in things that were previously government-led. I think helping the global expansion and revitalization of the webtoon industry is one way that technology companies can contribute to society.”‘,
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, ‘He stated, “We are considering not just stopping at agreements, but thinking about what more we can do for the revitalization of the webtoon industry,” and added, “We are sharing various ideas and brainstorming.” For example, just as Google operates programs like the Launchpad program and Startup Accelerator program for startups, he also wants to create similar programs for webtoons. Last year, Google Play designated October 28 as ‘Webtoon Industry Day’ in partnership with the Korea Webtoon Industry Association. The proclamation of Webtoon Industry Day was a result of considerations for revitalizing the webtoon industry, the director mentioned.’,
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, ‘On Webtoon Industry Day, Google Play plans to actively utilize its global network for enhancing the global competitiveness of domestic webtoon creators and webtoon industry professionals. They also plan to launch various long-term programs such as seminars for small and medium-sized webtoon companies and creators to enter the global market, networking opportunities with overseas webtoon publishers, activating genre diversity within the webtoon industry, and consulting strategies for discovering new IPs.’,
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, ‘A policy of fee reduction for small creators is also being implemented. Currently, only 3% of developers among all developers are charged service fees, while the remaining 97% can enjoy app distribution and developer benefits provided by Google Play for free. In the subscription service model, fees are set at 15%, and for webtoons and books, it is below 10%.’,
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, ‘He also mentioned efforts to address issues such as illegal distribution of webtoons. He said, “I think Google’s responsibility and role are getting bigger and broader.” He added, “The top priority for Google has always been security and safety. Google Play also aims to provide a safe and healthy ecosystem.” He further explained, “In the past, we only scanned apps downloaded from Google Play, but nowadays, we inspect every app loaded on Android, 1.25 billion times a day using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies.”‘,
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