An antitrust law passed in South Korea earlier this year will require Apple to support third-party payment platforms alongside its own In-App Purchase system. Now, Bloomberg reports that Apple’s “top executive for South Korea is leaving” the company for a new job in the United States.
Brandon Yoon joined Apple just three years ago, serving as the company’s general manager and head of sales for South Korea. He had previously spent time at both Microsoft and Samsung. More recently, Yoon also served as the so-called “point person” in the antitrust case in South Korea.
While the timing of the departure is certainly interesting, Bloomberg says that Yoon’s departure “isn’t related to the legal fight.” Regardless, it could still impact Apple’s work to both fight against the South Korea ruling and eventually comply with it.
Recently, Yoon was also Apple’s point person in ongoing legal proceedings over app store rules in the region. The country is adopting rules forcing Apple and Google app stores to offer alternative payment methods to the companies’ own systems — something that Apple has said will increase risks for users.
Yoon had provided testimony in Apple’s defense on the issue, but his departure from the company isn’t related to the legal fight, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.
Earlier today, Google announced its own system to comply with the new law in South Korea. The company says that Android phone and tablet applications distributed via the Play Store can soon surface alternate in-app billing systems. Google, however, will encourage developers to offer its own IAP option as well, and it will take an 11% cut from transactions through the alternate billing system.
Apple has not yet announced what it plans to do to comply with the South Korea ruling. Our colleagues over at 9to5Google have more details on Google’s changes.
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