Tech Japan and South Korea locking horns over LINE app

Late last year, cracks started opening in the Naver-Softbank venture. Line's operator, LY Corporation, said in November that a third party had gained unauthorized access to its systems via Naver's cloud storage system. In turn, Japan's communications ministry issued an ambiguous statement widely interpreted as a directive to Naver to sell its stake in its joint venture. In South Korea, the move caused a stir. Some analysts and politicians interpreted it as an attempt by Japan to use political pressure to undermine Naver, one of South Korea's biggest companies. Naver's union said it opposed any sale, and the company's chief executive, Choi Soo-Yeon, said she found the Japanese government's directive "highly unusual." [...] How Japan ultimately handles the issue of Line's ownership may affect the broader trajectory of Japanese-Korean relations, said Yul Sohn, president of the East Asia Institute, a think tank in Seoul. "From the Korean side, the general public believes that the Yoon government has shown its intentions and the cup is still half empty and waiting for Japan to respond," he said. If Japan shows it is willing to reciprocate, even through a gesture like a concession related to the dispute over Line, Mr Yoon could use that to manoeuvre further cooperation, Mr Sohn said.

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