Episode 9- Sangyun Lee - Digital Platform Regulation in South Korea and Japan

Join hosts Anush and Kena as they speak with Dr Sangyun Lee, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Kyoto University, about South Korea's evolving approach to digital platform regulation. Sangyun traces his journey from Korea University through multiple Korean regulatory agencies to his currentresearch position, exploring why economic dependence on platform giants has shaped Korea's cautious regulatory stance. The conversation examines the Korea Fair Trade Commission's (KFTC) proposed shift from DMA-style ex-ante rulestoward a flexible, rebuttable presumptions framework and whether this "middle path" represents pragmatic adaptation or regulatory hesitation. The discussion covers Korea's ‘enlightening the ignorant’ strategy of expert-led policymaking, the wholesale adoption of the EU's Platforms-to-Business Regulation, and the controversial Korea Communications Commission app market legislation. Sangyun offers critical insights into whether Korea's platform market genuinely lacks the evidence for strongerintervention, and what lessons Korea's experience holds for other jurisdictions navigating platform regulation