South Korea fines Google and Apple over app store payment practices

South Korea's Media and Communications Commission has fined Google and Apple over their app store payment practices, the regulator said on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. The Hindu and Reuters both reported the decision.

The fines concern the companies' practice of limiting app payments to their own or specific payment systems. The regulator also ordered the companies to take corrective measures.

Reported details

According to The Hindu, the combined fine is 63.7 billion won ($47.6 million). Google was fined 42.9 billion won ($32 million) and Apple 20.8 billion won ($15.5 million). The Reuters report reviewed by Vocemundi does not include these amounts.

The Hindu also reports that the Commission ordered both companies to let South Korean developers use external payment links within their apps. It reports that the companies were also ordered to improve their app review procedures.

According to The Hindu, the Commission spent years investigating the companies for allegedly violating a 2021 law. That law prohibits app store operators from forcing developers to use specific payment systems. The Hindu reports that South Korea was the first country to enforce such a law, in 2021.

What each side says

According to The Hindu, the Commission says Google and Apple abused their dominance in app store markets. It says they forced local developers onto their own payment systems and unfairly delayed app reviews.

The Commission says the companies pushed developers toward their own in-app payment systems and barred payments through external websites. It says the companies technically allowed third-party payment systems within apps. However, it says they charged a 26% commission and withheld some features available through their own systems. In the Commission's view, this effectively forced developers to use only the companies' in-app payment systems.

The Commission also says it found cases where the companies delayed app reviews. It says they did not clearly explain the reasons for the delays or when reviews would resume. It further says Apple charged South Korean developers higher commissions than developers elsewhere from 2015 to January 2023.

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include a response from Google or Apple. The Hindu reports that the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

What is not yet known

The reports do not say whether either company plans to appeal. They do not describe a deadline for complying with the orders. They do not include direct quotations from the Commission's decision or statement. They also do not say how many developers were affected or how the fine amounts were calculated.

Analysis

The decision is a test of how South Korea's 2021 law is enforced in practice. If the orders on external payment links take effect, developers in South Korea could gain more options for handling payments. Much depends on details the reports do not include, such as compliance deadlines and whether Google or Apple will contest the decision. The companies may comply, seek changes through legal channels, or respond in other ways. Regulators in other countries examining app store rules may follow the outcome. Some key figures, including the fine amounts, currently rest on a single outlet's report.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.