South Korea Fines Google and Apple 63.7 Billion Won Over In-App Payment Rules
South Korea's media regulator approved fines of 63.7 billion won on Google and Apple on 28 October 2026 over forced in-app payment systems.
South Korea's Broadcasting, Media and Communications Commission approved fines of 63.7 billion won on Google and Apple on 28 October 2026. Google was fined 42.9 billion won and Apple 20.81 billion won for requiring app developers to use the companies' own payment systems, a violation of the Telecommunications Business Act. The commission voted at its 46th plenary meeting that day.
The 68 billion won figure in earlier coverage was the maximum that the predecessor Korea Communications Commission announced plans to impose in October 2023. The approved total is about 4.3 billion won lower, and the decision came roughly three years after that proposal.
What the Decision Requires From Google and Apple
The regulator found that both companies allowed only in-app and third-party payment methods, which blocked external payments and limited developers' choices, Asia Business Daily reports. Seoul Economic Daily reports the decision applies a 2021 amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act, which bars app market operators from abusing their transactional position to force app developers to use a specific payment method.
The corrective orders require both companies to allow alternative payment methods, including external payment links inside apps, and to adjust third-party fees to reasonable levels. Google must revise its user experience guidelines for third-party payments, and Apple must drop its requirement that developers submit a separate app to offer alternative payment options, according to Korea Herald and Seoul Economic Daily. Each company must submit an implementation plan within one month of receiving the order and finish the changes within three months.
The commission also found that both companies delayed app reviews without explaining the reasons. Asia Business Daily reports that the commission decided not to file criminal complaints against either company.
The Fee Gap Behind the Findings
Both companies allowed third-party payments, but developers who used them paid a 26% fee, compared with 30% on the companies' own in-app systems, Seoul Economic Daily reports. Asia Business Daily adds that these developers were also restricted from some features, including subscription management.
Seoul Economic Daily reports that the commission counted separate payment gateway and system costs, and concluded that the real burden of a third-party route could be similar to or greater than the in-app route. On that basis, the commission found developers had little real incentive to switch. The same report says Apple applied its 30% fee to overseas developers on prices before value-added tax, but to domestic developers on final prices including it, from July 2015 to January 2023.
For a founder selling through iOS or Android apps in Korea, the published third-party rate sits four points below the in-app rate, but total costs on that route may be similar to or higher. Founders paying store fees should compare the full cost of each payment route, including gateway charges and any features a route removes, before changing checkout.
How Korea's Decision Compares With Apple's EU Terms
Apple's June 2025 changes for EU developers who use external purchase links include a 5% Core Technology Commission, a store services fee of 5% or 13% depending on tier, and a 2% initial acquisition fee, MacRumors reports. Those changes were made to comply with the Digital Markets Act, and Apple said it disagrees with the European Commission's requirements and plans to appeal.
MacRumors also reports that Apple planned to move all EU developers to a single model, replacing the Core Technology Fee with the Core Technology Commission, by 1 January 2026. The Korean orders arise under the Telecommunications Business Act and require third-party fees to be adjusted. Founders comparing the two markets need each store's current rate sheet, because the EU figures date from 2025.
“The approved total sits about 4.3 billion won below the maximum of 68 billion won the regulator announced in 2023.”
Company Responses and the Compliance Timeline
Seoul Economic Daily reports that Apple said it believes its changes to date comply with the Act and that it disagrees with the decision. Asia Business Daily reports that a Google representative said it was disappointed that the decision did not sufficiently reflect its compliance efforts and its support for Korean developers, and that it would review the decision once it receives the written resolution. Korea Herald also reports that Google announced plans in March to allow external payment options and lower service fees.
Commission Chairman Kim Jong-cheol expressed regret over the delay in handling the case, more than three years after the October 2023 proposal, and hoped the action would lead to substantive changes to the market structure, Asia Business Daily reports. Seoul Economic Daily reports he hoped the sanctions would mark a turning point for market structure.
Google said it would respond once it receives the written resolution, so the one-month and three-month compliance deadlines cannot yet be dated.
