SoftBank considers tie-up with messaging app Line

It has always been surprising to me that LINE flies under the radar and is allowed to become as big as it has become in Japan. It's the only Korean company that operates in Japan unabated. Furthermore, I'm surprised it has taken this long for a Japanese company to try and purchase it.

I wonder what the guy in the photo is thinking / doing.

Hmmm a bit confusing. So Line owns a part of Yahoo and now softbank wants to buy shares of Yahoo to merge with Line?

It has always been surprising to me that LINE flies under the radar and is allowed to become as big as it has become in Japan. It's the only Korean company that operates in Japan unabated. Furthermore, I'm surprised it has taken this long for a Japanese company to try and purchase it.

Line itself is a Japanese company that happens to be a subsidiary of a Korean company. There's a big difference there. Also you can tell by his name that Son is Korean-Japanese. He is more ambitious than most "regular" Japanese businessmen.

It was originally Naver in Japan. Later that changed their name to NHN.

A subsidiary is still part of the parent company. It's a Korean company. Apple Japan is a subsidiary of Apple Inc. So are you saying Apple is a Japanese company?

Line is a Korean corporation.

A tie-up? Well, they're experts at tying up customers' valuable time at their outlets.

A subsidiary is still part of the parent company. It's a Korean company.

No, a subsidiary is a company in itself owned by the parent company, as already explained.

LINE is called LINE株式会社 in Japanese, the word 会社 or company is literally in the name.

Apple Japan is a subsidiary of Apple Inc. So are you saying Apple is a Japanese company?

No, I'm saying Apple Japan is a Japanese company. In fact, Apple Japan is a 合同会社 (LLC). Again, the word 会社 or company is literally right there.

Terrible news!

LINE is a Korean-owned company (Japanese subsidiary) in Japan!

Line Corporation (stylized as LINE Corporation) is a Tokyo-based subsidiary of the South Korean internet search Naver Corporation.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LINE_Corporation

LINE Corporation is based in Japan. It was renamed from NHN Japan Corporation (spinoff) on April 1, 2013, and operates the LINE, NAVER matome, and livedoor web service businesses. Since launching LINE in June 2011, LINE Corporation has placed the core of its business upon the service and actively pushed for the further expansion of the service on a global scale, as well as accelerating the development of LINE as a platform.

Japanese messaging app Line will keep close ties to Korean internet giant Naver

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/13/japanese-messaging-app-line-will-keep-close-ties-to-korean-internet-giant-naver.html

No, I'm saying Apple Japan is a Japanese company. In fact, Apple Japan is a 合同会社 (LLC). Again, the word 会社 or company is literally right there.

Apple Japan is an American-owned company based in Japan.

Losing millions a day, sounds like Softbank's kind of company.