The South Korean government has passed an amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act that prohibits Google and Apple, as app marketplace providers, from requiring software developers to use their proprietary payment systems.
Now, to comply with the new law Google has announced that it will allow developers to add an alternative in-app billing system in South Korea. Along with the billions of developer-choice systems, the Google Play Store billing system will also be available.
This new change will apply to mobile or tablet users, users will also be able to choose which payment or billing system to use for in-app billing during the payment process.
Google also warns users that alternative billing systems may not provide the same protection or features that their billing system offers.
Currently, Google's billing system offers several payment options, including gift cards and Play Points along with the usual set of options.
Google has said that it will share implementation details with developers in the coming weeks and months. While Google hasn't provided an exact timeline for this, it's safe to assume that an alternative in-app billing system will go live next year in Korea.
Meanwhile, Apple still doesn't allow third-party payments for apps or in-app purchases and says alternative payment options will increase the financial risk for users.
In the last month, Apple refused to make any rule changes and claimed that it didn't need to change anything in its system.