South Korea’s Media Commission Has Not Decided on Google, Apple Penalties

The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) has not decided whether to penalize Google and Apple over South Korea’s app payment rules, leaving the outcome of an enforcement case unresolved.

In a statement Tuesday, Oct. 27, the commission said its deliberation process was incomplete and that neither the decision on sanctions nor their specific terms had been finalized.

South Korea amended its Telecommunications Business Act in 2021 to bar app marketplaces from requiring developers to use a specific payment method. The investigation covered August 2022 through April 2023.

In October 2023, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), the KMCC’s predecessor, proposed maximum fines of 47.5 billion won for Google and 20.5 billion won for Apple. The proposals were subject to company responses and a commission vote; they were not imposed penalties.

The investigation covered August 2022 through April 2023, and company responses and fine calculations remained under review in 2025. Google and Apple have said they introduced third-party payment options in 2021 and that their own payment systems comply with the law.