South Korea accuses Google of blocking app store rivals, tech giant faces $547M fine

South Korea's antitrust regulator, the Korea Fair Trade Commission, has formally accused Google of abusing its dominant position in the Android app marketplace to restrict competition from rival app stores like OneStore. The regulator alleged that Google's "Project Hug" program, which ran from July 2019 to March 2026, offered game developers financial incentives tied to services like Cloud and Ads on the condition that they launch titles on Google Play under terms at least as favorable as any competing store, effectively forcing de facto exclusive dealing. This conduct affected approximately $9.1 billion in revenue and could result in a fine of up to $547 million, or 6% of the affected amount, if the full commission upholds the finding. The accusation includes major South Korean studios such as NCSoft and Netmarble, and while Google has not conceded the point, it now has eight weeks to file a written response before the commission issues a final ruling. This case matters significantly as it challenges the market power of tech giants in South Korea, a country that has already passed an "Anti-Google law" to prevent app store operators from imposing restrictive payment methods on developers.