South Korea takes steps to curb Apple and Google’s dominance on commissions for developpers

On Wednesday, a parliamentary committee in South Korea voted to recommend amending a law – a key step in banning Google and Apple from forcibly charging software developers commissions on in-app purchases. The development marks the first such step by a major economy. The amendment will come to a final vote in parliament. Both US…

South Korean game developer Krafton Inc prices IPO at top of indicative range, to raise $3.75 billion

On Thursday, South Korean game developer Krafton Inc said, it had priced its initial public offering (IPO) at the top of its indicative range to raise $3.75 billion (4.3 trillion won). Krafton’s shares were priced at 498,000 won compared with a range of 400,000-498,000 won per share. Despite the target cut, it is the second-biggest…

South Korea’s Kakao Mobility secures $50.1M strategic investment from Google Inc

In a statement on Thursday, Kakao Corp, the parent of South Korea’s Kakao Mobility said, it has secured a strategic investment of $50.1 million (56.5 billion won) from Google. Kakao T, Kakao Mobility’s app, has registered user base of 28 million consumers, and offers South Korea’s most popular taxi-hailing service as well as other transportation…

NASA scientist pleads guilty to participation in China’s Thousand Talent program

According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, a senior NASA scientist has pleaded guilty to lying about his ties to a program that encourages researchers to develop relationships with China in exchange for grants. Meyya Meyyappan, 66, of Pacifica, California, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel in Manhattan. According…