'Angry' Lee Jae-myung: "15 Areas Discriminating Against Local Currency, All to Be Reported, Franchise Canceled, and Tax Investigations Initiated"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, announced that all 15 businesses in the province that engaged in inappropriate discriminatory acts, such as demanding fees when paying with Gyeonggi local currency, will be reported, have their merchant registration canceled, and be subject to tax investigations.

On the 7th, Lee posted on Facebook under the title "15 Cases of Local Currency Discrimination Confirmed... All Reported, Merchant Cancellation and Tax Investigation Initiated," stating, "Twenty members of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police simultaneously conducted mystery shopping (investigations disguised as customers) and identified 15 businesses that discriminated against local currency compared to cash within a single day."

He added, "The special judicial police, upon receiving reports, directly visited stores in Suwon, Yongin, and Hwaseong. They found that nine businesses charged an additional 10% VAT when paying with disaster basic income received via credit card, unlike cash payments. Six businesses demanded an extra 5-10% surcharge under the pretext of fees or charged higher prices for the same items when paying with local currency cards."

Lee explained, "All these businesses will be reported without exception for violating the Credit Specialized Financial Business Act (credit cards) and the Electronic Financial Transactions Act (local currency cards). Their credit card and local currency merchant registrations will be canceled, and they will be excluded from the approved vendor list in the system, preventing future payments via credit cards and local currency (disaster basic income and government subsidies). Additionally, tax investigations will be conducted through the local tax investigation team to check for sales manipulation."

He particularly warned, "Despite strict warnings, it is regrettable that some continue illegal acts, deceiving consumers for small profits and undermining the local currency system designed for self-employed business owners. Such behavior only fuels growing resentment among Gyeonggi local currency users and ultimately harms their own future business."

Furthermore, he promised, "We will expand the investigation team to all 31 cities and counties in the province to promptly investigate all reports and strictly hold offenders accountable, aiming to create at least in Gyeonggi Province a 'new and fair world' and protect the many honest self-employed business owners and consumers."

Previously, Governor Lee stated that businesses imposing VAT or deducting certain amounts as fees when receiving local currency issued as Gyeonggi disaster income will face merchant disqualification and tax investigations.

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