[DigitalToday reporter Ho-jeong Lee (이호정)] YouTube on Thursday officially launched its 'YouTube Premium Lite' plan in the South Korean market, focusing on video viewing benefits while excluding music streaming services.

The new plan follows the Fair Trade Commission's determination that the existing YouTube Premium limited consumer choice by forcing users to bundle YouTube Music.

Google has previously sold only a premium product in South Korea that combined ad-free video and music services, drawing controversy over alleged tying and prompting a Fair Trade Commission probe. Google submitted a voluntary corrective plan last year to improve the pricing structure. After the commission approved it, Google prepared the Lite plan as part of implementing the consent decision.

YouTube Premium Lite costs 8,500 won a month on web and Android. Its main feature is ad-free viewing for most videos, including gaming, beauty and news content. Key functions include background play, which allows video playback while other apps are running or the screen is locked, and offline downloads. Offline download benefits mainly apply to non-music content and do not apply to music content and Shorts. Some ads may also be shown during search and browsing.

The fee, including value-added tax, is 8,500 won on Android and web, up to 6,400 won cheaper than the existing Premium product. The fee is 10,900 won on iOS. Under the decision, Google agreed to freeze the price for at least 1 year from the launch date and plans over the following 3 years to keep Lite's price ratio not high compared with major overseas countries.

Google plans to roll out the membership sequentially to all users in South Korea over the next few weeks.

South Korean users can also continue to choose YouTube Premium at 14,900 won a month or YouTube Music Premium at 11,990 won a month, depending on their preferences.