Line Corporation

• 1. Founding And Early Identity

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  On the 4th of September 2000, a new Japanese internet company opened its doors under the name Hangame Japan. This entity emerged as part of Hangame, an online game community site owned by South Korean NHN Corporation at that time. The initial focus was on bringing gaming culture to Japanese users through this digital platform. By August 2003, the organization changed its identity and began operating as NHN Japan. This rebranding marked the first major shift in how the company presented itself to the public market.

• 2. Strategic Mergers And Acquisitions

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  In 2007, Naver established another subsidiary called Naver Japan to manage the search engine operations within the country. That same year, Livedoor became a target for acquisition when Naver Japan purchased it in 2010. Three distinct entities now existed under the broader umbrella: NHN Japan, Naver Japan, and Livedoor. In 2012, these three groups merged into a single new subsidiary also known as NHN Japan. This consolidation created a unified structure before the final rebranding occurred. The process brought together different operational histories into one corporate framework.

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• 3. Global Expansion And IPOs

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  On the 1st of April 2013, the company officially changed its name to Line Corporation and began trading under that title. Later that year, parent company NHN split into two separate organizations: Naver Corporation and NHN Entertainment Corporation. The latter entity then formed a new subsidiary named NHN Japan Corporation. By July 2016, Line Corporation held initial public offerings on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. These listings allowed the company to raise capital from international investors while expanding its reach beyond domestic borders. The dual listing strategy signaled confidence in global growth potential.

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• 4. The Yahoo Japan Merger

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  In late December 2020, Line delisted from both major stock exchanges ahead of an absorption-type merger agreement with Z Holdings. On the 1st of March 2021, Line Corporation merged with Yahoo Japan which had been operated by SoftBank Group subsidiary Z Holdings. Under this new arrangement, Naver Corporation and SoftBank Corp each held fifty percent stakes in A Holdings Corp. This holding company controlled Z Holdings which now managed both Line and Yahoo Japan operations. The integration aimed to compete against major tech giants including Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, and Rakuten. Three additional Asian markets gained prominence through this alliance: Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia.

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• 5. Reorganization Into LY Corporation

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  On the 2nd of February 2023, Z Holdings announced plans to merge its subsidiaries during fiscal year 2023. By October 1st of that same year, Yahoo, Z Entertainment, and Z Data combined into a single entity named Line Yahoo Corporation. Line Corporation transferred all assets, rights, and businesses to the new organization except for certain overseas stocks. Following this transfer, the original company changed its name to reflect current operations. It is expected to function as a holding company managing overseas subsidiary stocks and other assets through business reorganization. The final structure represents the culmination of years of strategic consolidation efforts.

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