Fair Trade Commission, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and Others Participate
The government, four major delivery platforms, and self-employed merchants operating on these platforms have launched a consultative body to develop a win-win model addressing commission fee issues.
On the 23rd, the government held the inauguration ceremony for the 'Delivery Platform and Merchant Win-Win Consultative Body' at the Government Seoul Office. The consultative body includes major delivery platforms such as Baedal Minjok, Coupang Eats, Yogiyo, and Ttaenggyeo, as well as merchant organizations including the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise.
Four public interest committee members, composed of academic experts, also participate in the consultative body. Professor Lee Jeong-hee from the Department of Economics at Chung-Ang University was appointed as the chairperson and public interest committee member.
The Secretariat Chief of the Korea Fair Trade Commission serves as the secretary and special committee member. The Director of Policy Coordination at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Food Industry Policy Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Win-Win Cooperation Policy Officer at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups also participate as special committee members.
The consultative body operates by prioritizing agreements between delivery platforms and merchants, with public interest committee members mediating discussions when necessary. If differences in opinions between delivery platforms and merchants on agenda items cannot be narrowed, the public interest committee members, after hearing both sides, propose a mediation plan.
At the inauguration ceremony, discussions were held on the operation plan of the consultative body along with ▲ measures to alleviate burdens such as commission fees ▲ measures to enhance transparency of commission fees ▲ improvement of unfair practices ▲ activation of public delivery apps ▲ preparation of institutional measures ▲ and resolution of other difficulties.
The consultative body agreed to strive to develop a win-win plan by October to resolve merchants' difficulties as quickly as possible. The government plans to facilitate frequent meetings between delivery platforms and merchants to encourage ongoing discussions.
Nam Dong-il, Secretariat Chief of the Fair Trade Commission, stated, "Recently, voices expressing grievances about delivery platforms have been growing, especially among small business owners. We hope this consultative body will be the first step toward finding ways for all participants in the delivery market to come together and achieve a win-win outcome."
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