Ministry of Science and ICT-Home Shopping Companies Meeting...Emergency Scheduling of Mask Sales Broadcasts

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] On the 6th, the Ministry of Science and ICT held an emergency meeting with the home shopping industry and related associations at the Korea TV Home Shopping Association conference room to review the current status of the novel coronavirus infection and to prepare countermeasures such as expanding mask sales broadcasts.

This meeting was a follow-up to the ICT sector response team meeting on the novel coronavirus infection held on the 5th, chaired by Jang Seok-young, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, and was conducted under the chairmanship of Lee Tae-hee, Director of the Network Policy Office. At the meeting, home shopping operators stated that despite practical constraints such as mask inventory depletion and difficulties in securing supply, they would actively strive to expand mask sales by urgently scheduling mask sales broadcasts.

In addition, to actively discover and onboard mask product suppliers, the onboarding procedures and criteria for new suppliers will be temporarily relaxed, and support will be actively provided so that suppliers can quickly enter home shopping channels by lowering sales commission rates and expanding direct purchase of mask products.

The government also decided to actively support the industry's efforts by providing incentives such as awarding additional points during future home shopping operator re-approval and annual compliance inspections to facilitate smooth mask product sales, and by providing information on mask manufacturers. Director Lee Tae-hee requested, "Since home shopping broadcasts are distribution channels that viewers trust and have high accessibility to, we ask the home shopping industry to expand sales broadcasts and schedule subtitle broadcasts or public service advertisements on preventive measures to respond to the novel coronavirus infection."

In particular, following the confirmation of a novel coronavirus infection in a GS Home Shopping employee, Director Lee urged, "Please take special care to thoroughly implement infectious disease prevention measures for industry workers, such as self-quarantine for symptomatic individuals, so that home shopping broadcasts can proceed without disruption."

The government and the home shopping industry agreed to closely cooperate so that home shopping, as a government-approved business operator, can establish distribution order and fulfill its public broadcasting responsibilities during national crisis situations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.