OTT service provider Watcha Play on Friday announced that it is discussing with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety about providing a free service for a month to COVID-19 patients and those under self-quarantine.

The company explained that it is providing the service to support those who are having a hard time due to the outbreak of the virus.

“We reached out to the government first with the idea. The ministry agreed to provide the service with us,” a Watcha Play spokesperson Huh Seung told The Korea Herald.

According to the startup, it is considering providing the service through two different tracks.

For the confirmed patients at state-run treatment centers, the Korea-based video streaming platform operator will provide QR codes, which will allow them to directly its OTT service on its platform for a month without any charges.

For those who are self-quarantined, Watcha Paly is planning to provide the code through the Interior Ministry’s app.

“We expect to provide these services as early as next Monday. Since the app for people in self-quarantine is operated by the Interior Ministry, we have to finalize a few details with the government,” Huh added.

Meanwhile, Watcha Play said it is already providing a three-day free service code to 50 million people. Ways to download the code are available through its official social media accounts, including Instagram and Facebook.

“This service is also for those who are spending more time at home over the weekend due to the virus,” the Watcha Play spokesperson said.

Watch Play does not require those using the three-day pass code to provide any payment information, according to the company. For its existing two-week free trial service for new users, the company asks for payment information so that subscription payments can be made automatically after the end of the trial service period, unless the user chooses not to continue.

“This is to avoid any misunderstanding that we are doing this as part of the company’s marketing strategy,” Huh said.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)