Anti-trust regulators in South Korea raided Google's offices in Seoul on Tuesday.

According to an anonymous source, officials of the Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) entered Google's offices on Tuesday morning, and even planned to return on Wednesday. The CNET report was not able to say why the Google offices were raided.

Google, which is considered the world's number one search engine, is also under investigation by antitrust authorities in the United States and in Europe, said a related Reuters report.

The Internet giant expressed willingness in settling the issue with the KFTC. "Google also said it would work with the Korean Fair Trade Commission to address any questions it may have about the company's business," a CNBC report relays the words from a Google spokeswoman.

Google's Alleged Monopoly of Mobile Search Market

Analysts relate the event to recent complaints about Google's monopoly of the international mobile search market.

In April, Internet portals filed complaints with the anti-trust regulators against Google. They accused the company of "unfairly stifling competition in the mobile search market."

In their joint complaint, NHN Corporation and Daum Communications, said that Google has been exploiting its position as a developer of Android mobile operating systems. The companies claim that Google makes it a point to have local smartphones preloaded with its search function.

"Android smartphones have Google's search engine installed as a default navigation tool and are 'systematically designed' to make it virtually impossible to switch to another option," said the CNBC report.

Google defends itself on Tuesday, saying that it does not insist on manufacturers of mobile phones using its Android software to install its Google search engine or other Google applications in the devices.

"We do not require carriers or manufacturers to include Google Search or Google applications on Android-powered devices," said the Google spokeswoman.

"We neither confirm nor deny the report," a KFTC spokesman told AFP. "We are afraid that divulging details of the probe may hamper our investigations and cause damage in the businesses of the company under investigation."

"Android is an open platform, and carrier and OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partners are free to decide which applications and services to include on their Android phones," the spokeswoman said.

A Look at the Mobile Search Market

According to data released by Nielsen Mobile, in the first quarter of 2008, and in the United States alone, Google's market share was up to 61%. Yahoo came in second place with a market share of 18%, and Microsoft MSN came in third with 5%.

A July 2010 post by Royal Pingdom using data from StatCounter, showed that Google's global mobile search market share came to almost 100%

"I've conducted mobile user surveys and seen plenty of third party data over the past two years that suggests the case isn't quite this lopsided. At least a year ago mobile search market share was tracking the desktop generally though was somewhat more skewed in Google's favor. It's quite possible that Google's lead has accelerated - especially as Android devices have sold better and better - but I'm somewhat skeptical it's this extreme. And Google itself doesn't want this sort of a lopsided market because it will lend fuel to the anti-Google "monopoly" arguments gaining some momentum in pockets around the globe," said Greg Sterling of Search Engine Land.