S Korean internet search sites allege Google stifling competition

In an antitrust complaint South Korea's top internet search sites have alleged that Google was stifling competition in the domestic mobile search market. NHN and Daum Communications in their petition with the antitrust watchdog, FTC, have asked it to look into the internet search giant's business practices in S Korea. NHN runs Naver, the country's leading search engine.

They claim, that smartphone manufacturers that use the Google Android system are being pressured by Google not to preload devices with NHN and Daum's applications.

 According to NHN, Android smartphones ''have Google's search engine installed as a default navigation tool, while they are systematically designed to make it virtually impossible to switch to another option.''

The move comes in the backdrop of the country having achieved a mobile penetration over 100 per cent and as online companies look to grab a bigger share of the fast-growing mobile search market.

Smartphone sales have sharply increased in the  country after the introduction of Apple's iPhone at the end of 2009.

Nearly 70 per cent of the more than 10 million smartphones sold in South Korea use the Android operating system, industry data shows.