Google refutes alleged tax evasion in S. Korea

By Park Sae-jin Posted : November 2, 2017, 16:23 Updated : November 2, 2017, 16:23

[Google Facebook]


Google launched a publicity campaign to safeguard its image in South Korea, dismissing accusations by its local rival, Naver, that the U.S. search giant has not paid taxes properly while providing limited job opportunities.

The campaign came after Naver founder Lee Hae-jin argued at a parliamentary committee session that Google hired only a small number of people in South Korea and operated servers abroad to evade tax.

Despite false clicks and the manipulation of most searched keyword lists, Lee claimed the American company has kept a relatively clean image because of its low market share in South Korea.

In a statement on Thursday, Google expressed regret and blasted Lee for making inaccurate allegations that could cause misunderstanding. The U.S. company said it has not violated local tax laws.

"The accusation is not true," Google said, adding hundreds of employees are working at its South Korean office along with Google Campus, a start-up supporting program. "We are very proud of our clear objectivity, fairness, and clarity of our search results."

"Our search results are 100 percent based on rankings created by algorithms and are not pressured by politics or money," Google said. Naver hit back, urging Google to come clean on its tax payment and sales, although the American company has no obligation to disclose such data. 


 
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