"The Role of the State is to Protect the Vulnerable and Establish a Fair Competitive Order"
[Asia Economy reporters Seunggon Han and intern Heeun Park] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, strongly criticized the delivery app platform 'Baedal Minjok' for changing its commission fee structure from a flat rate to a per-order charge and called for countermeasures.
On the afternoon of the 4th, Governor Lee shared an article related to 'Baedal Minjok' commission fees on his Facebook. He then wrote, "It seems the tyranny of monopoly is beginning. We need to come up with some measures."
In a follow-up post, Governor Lee said, "The situation is already difficult," adding, "Just because you have some power, does that mean you can harm the powerless majority and gain unfair profits?"
He warned, "If monopolies and unfair trade increase inequality and gaps, the market economy ecosystem will eventually collapse, and the companies themselves will suffer losses."
Governor Lee explained, "It is the role of the state to curb the tyranny of vested interests and protect the many vulnerable parties to create a genuinely fair competitive order."
He also urged for measures regarding the 'Baedal Minjok' issue. He stated, "We must devise ways to curb the tyranny of monopoly delivery apps and establish a rational competitive system."
Earlier, on the 1st, 'Baedal Minjok' changed its commission fee structure from a flat rate to charging 5.8% per order, claiming to help small business owners.
In response, the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business expressed regret on the 3rd in a statement titled 'Comment on Baedal Minjok's Commission Policy Revision.' They explained that the changed commission fee structure applies only to stores with monthly sales under 1.55 million KRW.
This amount corresponds to a daily sales of only 50,000 KRW, meaning most small business owners realistically have to endure a significant increase.
They expressed that a rate-based commission system, where fees increase with sales volume, is a heavy burden on small business owners compared to a flat rate system. They also appealed to the Fair Trade Commission to thoroughly investigate the price increase by 'Baedal Minjok.'
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