SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Korea Bizwire) – A South Korean court has ruled that redesigning luxury products without permission constitutes trademark infringement, dealing a blow to the growing fashion upcycling industry. The Patent Court of Korea upheld a lower court’s decision against a craftsman who reconstructed Louis Vuitton bags into new designs, ordering him to pay 15 [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Korea Bizwire) – In a parliamentary audit on October 21, Ham Yoon-sik, vice president of Woowa Brothers, defended his company’s controversial fee increases by pointing to similar moves by competitor Coupang Eats, highlighting growing tensions in South Korea’s competitive food delivery market. During the National Assembly’s political affairs committee audit of the Fair [...]
UIJONGBU, Oct. 17 (Korea Bizwire) – In a bid to support small business owners grappling with high commissions and delivery fees, Gyeonggi Province is taking steps to stimulate the market for private delivery apps that charge commission rates of 2% or less. The provincial government announced on October 16 that it would be accepting applications from [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent report by the Korea Consumer Agency has shed light on growing concerns in the domestic matchmaking industry, revealing that consumers who sought redress for grievances paid an average of 3.46 million won for matchmaking services. The agency’s data, released on October 16, shows a troubling trend in the [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – As restaurant owners’ frustrations grow over high commission fees charged by food delivery apps, several major chicken franchise chains in South Korea are ramping up incentives for customers to use their proprietary ordering platforms. According to industry sources on October 10, the country’s top three chicken franchises — BBQ, bhc [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Qoo10 CEO Ku Young-bae attended a court hearing held on Thursday to determine whether to issue an arrest warrant on fraud and embezzlement charges related to his e-commerce group’s large-scale payment delays to vendors. Ku appeared at the Seoul Central District Court for his hearing, which will be shortly [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Korea Bizwire) – As Seoul prepares for its annual International Fireworks Festival, a spectacle that typically draws hundreds of thousands of spectators, a frenzy for prime viewing spots is driving up prices across the city. Hotels and restaurants with coveted views of the Han River are seeing their rates soar, prompting local authorities [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korean consumers are grappling with a lack of transparency in food delivery pricing as major restaurant chains implement higher charges for delivery orders without clear disclosure. This practice, known as “dual pricing,” has sparked a debate about consumer rights and fair business practices in the country’s booming food delivery [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — Prosecutors on Monday grilled an e-commerce tycoon believed to be at the center of the large-scale insolvency incidents involving online shopping platforms TIMON and WeMakePrice. Ku Young-bae, CEO of the Singapore-based Qoo10 Group, the parent company of TIMON and WeMakePrice, underwent questioning as a fraud and embezzlement suspect at [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Korea Bizwire) – The Korea Fair Trade Commission has launched an investigation into Baedal Minjok, the country’s largest food delivery app, over allegations that it forced restaurants to offer it the most favorable pricing terms. Restaurant owners claim that Baedal Minjok, commonly known as Baemin, pressured them to keep prices on its platform [...]