Google to launch YouTube Premium without music service in Korea following antitrust probe

Google will launch a cheaper version of its YouTube Premium subscription without its music streaming component in Korea, the country's antitrust watchdog said Thursday, following months of investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices. The move is part of a self-proposed corrective measure agreed upon by the U.S. tech giant and the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), which has been probing the company over suspicions that bundling YouTube Music with YouTube Premium violated fair trade rules. Under the decision, Google will introduce YouTube Premium Lite, a video-only subscription that includes advertisement removal, background playback and offline viewing services, the FTC said. Existing YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium subscriptions will continue to be available. YouTube Premium Lite is expected to be priced at 8,500 won ($5.80) per month for Android and web users and 10,900 won per month for iOS users, the FTC said. YouTube Premium currently costs 14,900 won, while YouTube Music is offered separately for 11,990 won per month. The new service, currently available in 19 other c