Broadcasting, Media and Communications Commission Fines Google and Apple 63.71 Billion Won Over "In-App Payments"

Google fined 42.9 billion won and Apple 20.8 billion won; corrective orders approved
Google: "We will decide how to respond once we receive the written resolution"

Google and Apple were fined more than 60 billion won in total and ordered to take corrective measures for violating the Telecommunications Business Act in connection with their app marketplace payment policies.

Kim Jongchul, chairperson of the Broadcasting Media and Communications Commission, holds the 46th plenary meeting of 2026 at the Government Complex in Gwacheon on the 28th. Broadcasting Media and Communications Commission.

At its 46th plenary meeting, held on October 28 at the Government Complex Gwacheon in Gyeonggi Province, the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Commission approved a measure imposing fines of 42.9 billion won on Google and 20.81 billion won on Apple, along with corrective orders. After discussion, it also approved the original proposal not to file criminal complaints.

The Commission found that the two companies had used their market position to allow only in-app payments and third-party payment methods, preventing the use of other methods such as external payments and restricting app developers' freedom of choice.

In particular, the investigation found that although the companies allowed third-party payment methods, they charged app developers seeking to adopt them a 26% fee and restricted some features, including subscription management, compared with their own in-app payment methods.

The Commission found that Google restricted how prices could be displayed for different payment methods, while Apple required developers to submit apps separately, making it difficult to use external payment methods.

The companies were also subject to sanctions for failing to clearly explain specific reasons and provide a timeline when app reviews were delayed. The Commission also found that Apple's use of different criteria for calculating fees for domestic and overseas developers was unlawful.

The Commission ordered the companies to improve their business procedures to prevent recurrence of policies that restrict the choice of payment methods, issues with app review procedures, and discrimination between domestic and overseas app developers. It also required them to submit plans for implementing corrective measures and report the results.

Commission Chair Kim Jongcheol said, "More than three years have passed since the former Korea Communications Commission notified the companies of its proposed corrective measures in October 2023." He expressed regret on behalf of the Commission over the delay in handling the case. He added, "I hope this enforcement action can become a turning point that brings about substantive changes to the market structure that app developers and end users can feel."

Meanwhile, Google expressed disappointment with the Commission's decision. A Google representative said, "We are disappointed that the Commission's decision does not sufficiently reflect our efforts to comply with the law or our contributions to supporting innovation and global growth among Korean developers." The representative added, "We will carefully review the decision once we receive the written resolution and then determine how to respond."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.