After getting the nod from regulators in China and the EU a couple of weeks ago, Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard King has now been unconditionally approved by the South Korea regulatory body, Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC).

The regulators say that they have “no concerns” and that the acquisition would not harm the competition in console gaming market due to the relatively low market share of the two companies in Korea.

In a statement, the KFTC said:

After reviewing the situation, we have concluded that it is unlikely for Microsoft to pursue a foreclosure strategy by exclusively distributing Blizzard’s games through its own platforms. Even in the event of a foreclosure, the move will not exclude rivals from the market. The likelihood of Microsoft restricting competition, considering their primary focus on providing cloud-based content through Xbox consoles, is limited.

South Korea is now amongst the growing list of countries that have approved the Microsoft-Activision deal. However, the merger is also facing challenges from antitrust watchdogs in the UK and US. In spite of that, Microsoft and ABK are confronting the regulators in legal battles to ultimately close its $68.7 billion dollar merger.

There’s still a long way to go with many legal battles and approvals from countries including New Zealand before the deal is closed. Make sure to stay tuned to MP1st for all the latest announcements and updates regarding the Microsoft-Activision deal.

Source: Korea Fair Trade Comission (KFTC)