South Korea’s antitrust regulator has directed seven major e-commerce platforms to modify unfair terms to enhance consumer protection. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) identified 11 unfair clauses in user agreements used by platforms like Coupang Inc., Naver Corp., Kurly Corp., and others. These companies have agreed to amend the terms as per the regulator’s suggestions. The revisions aim to bolster consumer rights and ensure better handling of personal data by platform operators.
One of the clauses involved Coupang’s policy that restricted users from receiving refunds for prepaid Coupay Money balances after account termination, as highlighted by the FTC. Initially affecting about 3,000 accounts, a subsequent investigation revealed that over 33.6 million accounts were impacted. Meanwhile, Coupang has refuted allegations of lobbying U.S. officials to influence the South Korean government post a data leak incident in November.
According to disclosures under the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), Coupang clarified that its lobbying efforts were focused on enhancing economic ties between Seoul and Washington. The company emphasized its lobbying activities aimed at expanding professional visa opportunities for South Koreans in the U.S. and promoting investment and commercial activities in various countries. Coupang stated that its lobbying expenditure in the January-March period amounted to 1.6 billion won (US$1.09 million).
