Microsoft plans video-streaming service in S. Korea

SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp. plans to launch a
Korean-language version of its Internet video-streaming service, the company's
South Korean unit said Wednesday.
Microsoft recently began beta testing of the Korean version of its MSN Video
service, which features content such as music, movies and news clips, Microsoft
Korea said.
A specific time frame for the launch has not yet been fixed, according to company
officials. Microsoft said it plans to form tie-ups with Korean media outlets to
provide content tailored to Korean-speakers around the world.
MSN Video has been available for some time in the U.S., Europe and select Asian
nations, but Microsoft has not previously provided Korean-language video
services. The company's entry into South Korea's on-line video-streaming market
is expected to liven competition in the local industry, over which YouTube has
maintained a stranglehold.
YouTube, owned by Google Inc., is the world's most popular video-sharing Web
site. It launched a Korean-language version of its service in January and has
seen a high traffic growth rate since.
South Korea is one of the world's most wired countries, with 95 percent of homes
connected to high speed Internet, according to a recent government report.