SEOUL -- South Korea's Naver is expanding efforts to extend its online empire into financial services, as the proposed merger between Line and Yahoo Japan frees up resources to pour into the growing field.
Line, a chat app in which Naver holds a 73% stake, has struggled to turn a profit in recent years. But the merger would minimize Line's effect on Naver's overall balance sheet, letting the South Korean internet giant focus on new avenues for growth.
