Apple and Epic Games might be locked in a courtroom battle that's taking absolutely ages to unfold, but that doesn't mean there's no chance of circumstances changing in the meantime, as a couple of recent developments show.

First up, a new law in South Korea, which should come into effect very soon, has mandated that app stores can't force developers to use their payment platforms for subscribers, which is part of the core of Epic's dispute with Apple.

In response to that change, Epic says it's reapplied for Fortnite to be released on at least the Korean version of Apple's App Store:

It's made that announcement from the official Fortnite Twitter handle, too, to continue its PR blitz around the disagreement. Apple hasn't waited around long to respond, though, clarifying that it isn't moving its position as yet. It said, in a statement to TechCrunch:

"As we’ve said all along, we would welcome Epic’s return to the App Store if they agree to play by the same rules as everyone else. Epic has admitted to breach of contract and as of now, there’s no legitimate basis for the reinstatement of their developer account".

That's pretty definitive, and hardly a surprise, but this all demonstrates that while their lawsuit rumbles on things could still feasibly change in practice. For anyone missing Fortnite on their iPhone, here's hoping.