Apple’s head of sales for South Korea, Brandon Yoon is reportedly leaving the company for a job in the U.S. His departure comes at a time when Apple is under pressure by the South Korean government to change App Store’s rules which would allow sideloading on iOS devices.
South Korea has become the first country to pass legislation that is designed to keep a check on the control of Apple and Google on the mobile application market. Under the new law, both tech giants can not force developers to use their in-app payment systems on iOS and Android platforms which opens doors for sideloading on iPhones and Android smartphones.
Apple’s defense loses a supporter as its fight the South Korean government over the sanctity of the iOS App Store
Bloomberg reports that Yoon joined the company as a general manager and since 2018 was the head of sales for South Korea. He was worked at Microsoft Corp as an executive and was at Samsung Electronics Co. before joining Apple. However, sources say that his departure is not a result of Apple’s ongoing conflict with the government. In fact, he defended the company’s stand against sideloading on the iOS platform.
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.
Recently, Google announced its new alternative payment system for South Korea which allows developers to directly offer users the option to make purchases from their own websites but it will still charge them a reduced fee for using its platform to reach a global audience.
Apple, on the other hand, has not devised a plan for the country and previously told the legislators that its App Store rules were already in compliance with the new law. Meanwhile, the company is constantly warning against the sideloading and spreading awareness of the real-world threats its poses to consumers and developers.
