# South Korea fines Apple and orders app payment changes at Apple and Google

_Published Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at 6:00 PM EDT · Policy, Products · Latest · Tier 1 — Major_

![South Korea fines Apple and orders app payment changes at Apple and Google — Primary](https://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2026/06/app-store-app-icon-ios-27.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&resize=1200,628)

South Korea's Korea Media and Communications Commission fined Apple 20.81 billion won and ordered Apple and Google to change app payment and review policies, 9to5Mac reported. The regulator said a 26% commission and restrictions on third-party payment alternatives effectively forced developers to use the companies' own payment systems.

Both companies must allow external payment methods, address restrictions on developers using alternatives, and revise review procedures. The regulator found that reviews were delayed without specific explanations or clear responses on timelines.

Apple must also prevent discriminatory commissions from recurring after charging South Korean developers on prices including VAT while charging overseas developers on prices excluding VAT. Apple disagreed with the decision and said it was evaluating its legal options.

## Sources

- [9to5Mac](https://9to5mac.com/2026/10/28/apple-fined-15-5-million-as-south-korea-orders-changes-to-app-store-rules/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/k7tEHHFV1z2ze_eHv_H1vj
Published: 2026-10-28T22:00:16.579Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-28T21:44:56.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-29T01:01:05.892Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)