Line Yahoo(LY), the operator of the Line messenger application, has decided to complete its systems separation from Naver by March 2026, earlier than originally planned. 

According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, citing an official, LY has decided to expedite the separation process process, which was initially scheduled to be completed by December 2026, following successive administrative guidance from the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications earlier this year.

During a general shareholders' meeting held in Tokyo on June 18, LY CEO Takeshi Idezawa announced the company was pushing to complete the separation between Naver Cloud and its employee system and authentication base within the 2024 fiscal year, adding that its subsidiary had planned to complete the system separation by 2026, but planned to accelerate the process.

The move comes as the Japanese government issued a directive request to reexamine its capital ties with the South Korean tech giant due to a massive data leak last year.