South Korea's media and telecommunications regulator has ordered Google and Apple to pay a combined 63.7 billion won (€42.7 million) for abusing their dominance in app store markets. The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) found that both companies forced app developers to use their proprietary payment systems and unreasonably delayed app reviews, violating a 2021 law that made South Korea the first country in the world to ban such practices.
The fines—42.9 billion won (€28.7 million) for Google and 20.8 billion won (€13.9 million) for Apple—follow an investigation that began in August 2022. The regulator concluded that although both companies formally allowed developers to offer alternative payment methods within their apps, they imposed a 26% commission on those transactions, only slightly below the 30% charged for their own systems. They also withheld certain features, leaving developers with little real choice. Payments routed through external websites were blocked altogether.
In addition, the KMCC found that both companies stalled app reviews without providing clear reasons to developers or indicating when reviews would resume. Apple was also found to have charged South Korean developers higher commissions than those in other markets between 2015 and January 2023, because it calculated its fees on prices that included value-added tax.
Kim Jong-cheol, chair of the KMCC, said the sanctions were intended to bring genuine change to the market, reiterating that South Korean law applies equally to domestic and foreign companies. Both Google and Apple must now allow developers to include links to external payment options in their apps and improve their review processes. They have one month to submit compliance plans and three months to implement the changes. Neither company has publicly responded to the decision yet.
A familiar fight in Europe
The case mirrors ongoing battles in the European Union, where the Digital Markets Act (DMA) prohibits so-called gatekeepers from preventing developers from directing users to cheaper deals. In April 2025, the European Commission fined Apple €500 million under the DMA for blocking such steering on its App Store—a decision Apple has appealed. In August, following what the Commission described as close collaboration, Apple announced new EU terms effective 1 October, cutting its standard commission on in-app purchases to 26% from 30% and setting a 15% rate when developers send users elsewhere to complete a purchase.
Google, meanwhile, was fined €890 million by Brussels in July, including €430 million for restricting developers on Google Play from pointing users to cheaper purchase options. The company has since adjusted some of its fees and terms on Google Play, which the Commission is still assessing, and has appealed the fines.
These regulatory actions highlight a growing global consensus that dominant app store operators must not use their market power to stifle competition. For European developers, the DMA has already opened new avenues, but enforcement remains a work in progress. As South Korea's latest penalties show, the pressure on Big Tech is not limited to Brussels—it is spreading across jurisdictions, with regulators increasingly willing to act.
The South Korean decision also comes amid broader scrutiny of tech giants in Asia. South Korea's economic resilience has been partly driven by its tech sector, but regulators are keen to ensure that innovation does not come at the expense of fair competition. The KMCC's action is a reminder that even the most powerful platforms must answer to national laws.
For now, Google and Apple face a clear deadline: they must present their compliance plans within a month and implement changes within three months. Whether these measures will satisfy the regulator—and whether similar pressure will mount in Europe—remains to be seen. But the message from Seoul is unambiguous: the era of unchecked app store dominance is over.
