South Korea has hit Google and Apple with fines totalling 63.7 billion won (€42.7m) for abusing their app store dominance to force developers onto proprietary payment systems and delay app reviews without explanation.
The ruling lands as regulators worldwide tighten scrutiny of Big Tech gatekeepers. The two American firms have already faced similar penalties across the European Union, where the Digital Markets Act targets exactly this kind of behaviour.
The Korea Media and Communications Commission imposed 42.9 billion won (€28.7m) on Google and 20.8 billion won (€13.9m) on Apple following an investigation that began in August 2022. Both companies violated a 2021 Korean law that prohibits app store operators from compelling developers to use a specific payment mechanism. South Korea became the first nation globally to enact such legislation.
On paper, the tech giants permitted alternative payment options within their apps. Yet they levied a 26% commission on those transactions, barely below the 30% charged through their own systems, while withholding certain features. The regulator concluded this left developers with no meaningful choice. External website payments also remained blocked.
The commission further found both companies stalled app reviews without proper justification or timeliness updates. Apple separately overcharged Korean developers between 2015 and January 2023 by calculating commissions on prices that included value-added tax.
Both firms now face a one-month deadline to submit compliance plans and three months to implement changes, including allowing developers to link to outside payment options and overhauling their review processes.
Commission chair Kim Jong-cheol expressed hope the sanctions would drive genuine market change and stressed that Korean law applies equally to domestic and foreign companies. Neither Google nor Apple has publicly responded.
The case mirrors the EU’s ongoing enforcement of the DMA. Brussels fined Apple €500 million in April 2025 for blocking steering on its app store. Google received an €890 million penalty in July, including €430 million for restricting developers from directing users to cheaper options. Both companies have appealed.
