SEOUL– South Korea’s communications regulator has approved fines totaling 63.7 billion won ($45 million) against Google and Apple for restricting payment options available to app developers, concluding that the two U.S. technology companies violated the country’s telecommunications laws.
The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) announced Wednesday that Google will face a fine of 42.9 billion won, while Apple will be fined 20.81 billion won for violations of the Telecommunications Business Act, according to Yonhap news agency.
The regulator determined that both companies used their dominant positions in their respective app marketplaces to require developers to use designated payment systems while placing unfavorable conditions on alternative payment methods.
The commission also plans to issue corrective orders requiring the companies to address the violations. However, it decided against pursuing criminal complaints against either company.
The decision follows a regulatory investigation that began several years ago. South Korean authorities first notified Google and Apple of the alleged violations in October 2023.
The penalties represent another regulatory challenge for the two technology companies as South Korea seeks to strengthen oversight of digital platforms and expand payment choices for app developers.
Separately, Google recently disclosed that it removed 449 South Korean YouTube channels during the second quarter of 2026 in connection with politically charged content.
According to a report from Google’s Threat Analysis Group, the company terminated 22 Korean-language YouTube channels in April, followed by 367 in May and another 60 in June.
The largest number of removals occurred in May, ahead of South Korea’s June 3 local elections.
The affected channels had published content supporting or criticizing the South Korean government, political parties and individual political figures, according to the report cited by Yonhap.
Google had not terminated any South Korean YouTube channels during the period from the second quarter of 2025 through the first quarter of 2026.
During that same period, the company removed 9,173 YouTube channels linked to China and 2,083 associated with Russia, according to the report.
The app store penalties and YouTube channel removals highlight separate areas of scrutiny involving Google’s operations in South Korea, including competition in digital marketplaces and the management of politically sensitive online content. (Source: IANS)
