Apple Korea’s general manager Brandon Yoon to resign

Apple Korea’s general manager Brandon Yoon will resign from his position, industry sources said Thursday.

According to the sources, Yoon tendered his resignation from the position at the company on Thursday. The company refrained from offering a confirmation.

Yoon has led Apple Korea since 2018. Before coming to Apple Korea, Yoon worked at Samsung Electronics. He also worked for Microsoft from 2003-2015.

Industry sources said Yoon’s resignation is sudden and unexpected, given that Apple Korea has received positive responses for its recent launches of the iPhone 13 and Apple TV here.

Some speculate that Yoon’s resignation could be partly due to the unresolved dispute between the company and the South Korean government over the company’s in-app purchasing system.

Together with Google, Apple has been under the scrutiny of policymakers in South Korea for the way the company handles its app store’s payment system.

In August, the South Korean government amended the Telecommunication Business Act to prevent major app store operators, like Apple and Google, from charging high commissions on in-app purchases. The law went into effect in September.

Apple told the Korea Communications Commission that it was already complying with the law, and there is no need to change its app store policy.

The state-led commission, however, dismissed Apple Korea’s argument and demanded the company come up with an alternative plan.


By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)