January 7, 2025
SEOUL – US tech giant Google is under scrutiny in Korea for its selective pricing plans for YouTube Premium users here, charging them significantly higher fees than users in other countries.
According to recent data from the National Assembly Research Service released Monday, the monthly subscription fee for the ad-free YouTube Premium is 14,900 won ($10.16) per user in Korea. For a household of four, this amounts to a hefty 59,600 won monthly if each member subscribes individually.
The price is more than 30,000 won higher than the monthly cost for a family of four in Italy, a country with a similar GDP and per capita GDP to Korea. In Japan, users can share a family plan with up to five members for 2,280 yen ($14.46) per month.
The stark price discrepancy stems from the absence of a family subscription plan in Korea. Family plans are available in 42 countries including the US, Germany, the UK, France, Japan and India, allowing up to five family members living at the same address to share a single subscription at a reduced cost.
Most countries offer family plans for about 20,000 won per month. France, the most expensive among the surveyed countries, charges 36,000 won, still almost half the cost for Korean users.
A Google Korea official declined to comment regarding the absence of a YouTube Premium family plan in Korea and price discrepancies among countries.
Criticism over YouTube’s pricing policies in Korea is not new. While YouTube’s pricing is determined by its headquarters, the company has not clarified why the family plan and other discounted options are not available here.
The YouTube Premium Student plan, which offers up to 60 percent off for verified students, is available in over 80 countries, but it is not available in Korea.
YouTube also doesn’t offer a more budget-friendly Lite plan in Korea. The only option available here is the Standard plan, which bundles ad-free video viewing, background play, and YouTube Music services into a single subscription.
The issue was also raised during the parliamentary audit in October. At the time, Google Korea Country Director Kim Kyoung-hoon didn’t give a clear answer to its pricing policy in Korea, stating only that “everything is under review.”