South Korea’s antitrust regulator has ordered seven major e-commerce platforms to revise unfair user terms in a move aimed at improving consumer rights and personal data protection.
The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said it reviewed agreements used by platforms run by Coupang Inc., Naver Corp., Kurly Corp., SSG.com, Gmarket, 11Street, and Nol Universe Co. It found 11 types of unfair clauses across four key categories.
According to the regulator, the companies agreed to update their terms after receiving recommendations. The FTC said the changes are designed to better protect shoppers and ensure safer handling of user information.
One example involved Coupang Inc.’s earlier policy that blocked refunds for prepaid Coupay Money balances after an account was terminated.
Coupang previously said around 3,000 accounts were affected, but a later joint public-private investigation found the issue impacted more than 33.6 million accounts.
Separately, Coupang denied accusations that it lobbied U.S. officials to pressure the South Korean government during a data leak controversy that surfaced in November.
The company said its lobbying work focused on economic cooperation between Seoul and Washington, along with expanding visa opportunities for South Koreans seeking jobs in the United States.
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Coupang added that it spent 1.6 billion won (US$1.09 million) on lobbying during the January to March period.
