Naver and Coupang Consumer Disputes Double in Four Years... "Urgent Need to Strengthen Platform Accountability"

64% of Dispute Mediations Unresolved by the Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency
"Enactment of the Online Platform Fairness Act Needed"

With the expansion of online transactions, consumer dispute cases involving major platforms such as Naver and Coupang have surged. Experts point out that the current E-Commerce Act makes it difficult to clearly define the responsibilities of platforms, and emphasize the urgent need to enact the so-called "Online Platform Fairness Act" (Onple Law).

Naver headquarters in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province (left) and Coupang office building in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

According to data submitted by Assemblyman Lee Kangil of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee, on October 12, 2025, the number of consumer dispute resolution cases received by the Korea Consumer Agency last year reached 57,177, an increase of about 19% compared to the previous year.

Of these, cases related to major online platforms such as Naver, Coupang, Kakao, and Baemin accounted for 6,147 cases (10.8%), showing a steady increase in proportion compared to 2,934 cases (6.8%) in 2020.

By platform, Naver saw cases rise from 598 in 2020 to 1,114 last year, an 86.3% increase, while Coupang jumped from 364 to 839 cases during the same period, a 130.5% surge.

The cross-border shopping platform Aliexpress also saw 461 cases reported by August this year, already exceeding last year's total by 170%. Most of the reported issues involved the delivery of counterfeit or defective goods, unilateral refusal of refunds by sellers, and forced transaction practices, predominantly occurring during transactions with sellers on the platforms.

Assemblyman Lee Kangil stated, "Platforms have become the main channel for national consumption, but the legal framework still centers on their role as intermediaries. Although the scale of consumer damage is growing, the current E-Commerce Act and Fair Trade Act have limitations in providing effective remedies."

More Than Half of Dispute Mediations Fail to Reach Settlement... Effectiveness Remains Low

According to the "Dispute Mediation Status" received by Assemblyman Lee from the Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency, over the past six years (2020-2025), more than 1,000 cases related to online platforms were handled in the field of fair trade dispute mediation, accounting for about 12% of the total.

However, only 36% of these cases were settled through agreement. The remaining 64% were either unresolved or dismissed, indicating that the effectiveness of consumer remedies remains low.

Assemblyman Lee stressed, "The reason consumer damage is repeatedly occurring is that it is difficult to hold platform operators directly accountable for transactions. The government must clearly define the scope of platform responsibility through measures such as the enactment of the Onple Law, and strengthen the enforceability of the dispute mediation process."