In their latest dispute over app development fees, Apple denied Epic Games' request on Thursday to restore its account on the iPhone maker's iOS platform in South Korea so that it could add its own payment option.
Epic Games launched a lawsuit against Apple last year, alleging that the smartphone giant abused its dominance in the mobile app industry.
Last week, South Korea's parliament passed legislation prohibiting major app store operators, including Apple, from compelling software developers to use their payment systems, thus prohibiting them from earning commission on in-app transactions.
The measure is likely to take effect around September 15.
Epic stated on Twitter that it had requested that Apple restore its Fortnite developer account, adding that "Epic aims to re-release Fortnite on iOS in Korea allowing both Epic payment and Apple payment side by side in conformity with the new Korean law."
However, Apple stated that Epic Games must agree to comply with Apple's App Store review rules, and that any request for restoration of Epic Games' developer program account in the absence of such an agreement will be denied.
"We would welcome Epic's return to the App Store if they agreed to follow the same guidelines as everyone else," Apple wrote in an email.
It stated that even if the South Korean legislation became law, the company would be under no duty to approve any developer program account application.
Legal experts and developers worldwide are awaiting the outcome of an antitrust complaint Epic Games brought against Apple in a US court.
Epic violated Apple's regulations by introducing its own in-app payment system in "Fortnite" to avoid Apple's commissions. Apple informed Epic Games that the move violated its policies and removed the game from the App Store.
Faced with increased anti-trust scrutiny from worldwide regulators, Apple announced last week that it would allow some apps, such as Netflix Inc, to provide connections to their websites for user purchases, a minor concession that would allow app developers to avoid the controversial 30% App Store fee.
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