Choi Woo-jung, CEO of SSG.com, Actively Voices On-Site Difficulties... Minister Sung Yoon-mo Says "We Will Work to Resolve Them"

On the morning of the 10th at Emart Cheonggyecheon Branch, Choi Woo-jung, CEO of SSG.com (center), is explaining the store-type logistics center to Sung Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy (right).

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seung-jin] Choi Woo-jung, CEO of SSG.com, said on the 10th, "I have fully explained the difficulties faced on the ground, such as restrictions on business hours, to the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy."

On the same day, Choi met with reporters at the Emart Cheonggyecheon branch, where SSG.com's store-type logistics center (EOS) is established, and said, "I explained the difficulties experienced on the ground due to the Distribution Industry Development Act in the era of online and offline integration," adding, "The minister responded that he fully sympathizes and understands."

At 10 a.m. that day, Sung Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, visited Emart Cheonggyecheon branch to inspect the online distribution site, which has emerged as a core of the non-face-to-face economy after the COVID-19 pandemic, and to listen to the industry's difficulties.

SSG.com renewed and unveiled a state-of-the-art logistics center responsible for online order delivery on the basement first floor of the Cheonggyecheon branch, covering approximately 5,123㎡ (1,550 pyeong) in January. Here, after proxy shopping for products ordered online at the store, a crane robot delivers the ordered products to a designated place in the store for consumers through an unmanned pickup service.

On the day, CEO Choi accompanied Minister Sung on-site and actively conveyed the difficulties faced by the industry. CEO Choi said, "There are many restrictions because we are a large corporation, and the industry feels a real crisis that it could perish." Minister Sung nodded and replied, "The government is well aware of this. We will work to resolve these issues one by one."

Sung Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, visited Emart Cheonggyecheon branch on the morning of the 10th and used the 'Robot Pickup Service'.

The store-type logistics center is responsible for online order delivery but must operate according to the business hours of the large offline store since it is located inside the large store. In 2012, the government imposed business regulations through the Distribution Industry Development Act, citing infringement on small businesses, and large marts are currently subject to regulations such as mandatory closure two days a month and business hour restrictions.

Meanwhile, various ideas related to the non-face-to-face economy were poured out at the site that day. After personally using the 'robot pickup service,' where a robot delivers products ordered online on-site for customers to pick up, Minister Sung evaluated, "If such equipment is installed in parking lots, the non-face-to-face economy through drive-thru is expected to be greatly activated."

Minister Sung added, "Such advanced technology utilization services can become a leading model of global distribution in the non-face-to-face era," and said, "The government will create opportunities for companies' innovative technologies to be well reflected."

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