South Korea has fined Google and Apple a combined 63.7 billion won over how they run their app stores, the first enforcement of the country's mandatory in-app payment rules. The Korea Media and Communications Commission, or KMCC, announced the decision on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, and Engadget, Korea Times, Seoul Economic Daily and Euronews all reported it.
The fines
Google was fined 42.9 billion won and Apple 20.81 billion won. Outlets convert these differently. Engadget gives about $32 million and about $15.6 million, Korea Times gives about $47.6 million combined, and Euronews gives 28.7 million euros for Google, 13.9 million for Apple and 42.7 million in total. The amounts are well below the maximum of 68 billion won the regulator proposed in October 2023.
The penalty falls under the Telecommunications Business Act, amended in 2021 and in force since March 2022. The KMCC opened its investigation in August 2022. A decision was deferred in August this year, according to the Korea Herald.
What the regulator found
Three main violations are cited across the reports. First, the companies steered developers toward their own in-app payment systems while charging a 26 percent commission on third-party payments, compared with 30 percent on their own. Second, the regulator found unjustified delays in app review. Third, Apple charged Korean developers on VAT-inclusive prices from July 2015 to January 2023, while overseas developers were charged on pre-VAT prices.
Detail differs by outlet. Seoul Economic Daily, in an automated translation, says Apple required a separate app submission for third-party payment and that Google restricted price display. Engadget says Apple calculated commissions differently, and that the regulator wants it to avoid discrimination between domestic and overseas developers, a point the other reports do not repeat. These are best read as parts of a broader finding, not as the single basis of the fines.
What the companies must do
Both companies must allow external payment links and revise their commission and review procedures. According to Korea Times, Euronews and Seoul Economic Daily, they must submit plans within one month and implement them within three months. Chairman Kim Jong-cheol said the law applies equally to domestic and foreign firms, per Seoul Economic Daily, which spells his name slightly differently in its translation.
How they responded
Apple said, "We respectfully disagree with today's decision," and said its changes comply with the Act and that it is weighing its options under Korean law. Google Korea expressed regret that its compliance efforts were not fully reflected in the decision, per Korea Times, and Seoul Economic Daily says it pointed to a recent policy update on payment flexibility and fee cuts. Euronews said Google had no public response when it published.
Why it matters
Korea was among the first countries to legislate against forced use of app store billing, and the decision shows how the law will be enforced. Developers who sell digital goods are watching whether the modest fines are paired with real changes to the fee structure. For Apple, the VAT point is notable because it concerns price treatment between developer groups, not only commission rates.
For Indian readers, the ruling has no direct legal effect. India's Competition Commission has its own cases against both companies' app store billing, and Korean outcomes are often cited in those debates, though we have not seen any statement linking the two.
What to watch next
The first milestone is the one-month deadline for compliance plans, followed by the three-month implementation deadline. Appeals by either company would also be a signal, and Apple's reference to evaluating options suggests that one is possible.
Published October 30, 2026. Gadgets365 will update this article as more information becomes available.
