"You Do Not Have to Pay a Penalty for Sudden Wedding Postponement"

Wedding Industry Considering Waiver of Cancellation Fees for Up to 6 Months

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Amid the wave of wedding reservation cancellations due to the implementation of Level 2 social distancing measures, a plan is being promoted to allow weddings to be postponed for up to six months without penalty fees.

On the 20th, according to the Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Wedding Industry Association, the wedding industry is discussing a plan to allow weddings to be postponed without penalty fees for a period ranging from three months up to six months. This is a countermeasure following the complete ban on private and public gatherings, meetings, and events with more than 50 people indoors due to the resurgence of COVID-19. A representative from the association said, "The association’s secretariat and member companies are positively negotiating the extension of the penalty-free period to six months." Earlier, the Fair Trade Commission had requested the wedding industry to "consider postponements within the maximum acceptable range."

In March, the association announced a policy, at the request of the Fair Trade Commission, to allow customers to postpone weddings for three months without penalty fees if they wished. However, as the spread of COVID-19 is expected to continue mainly in the metropolitan area, discussions have begun to extend the period to a maximum of six months. However, a full cancellation of weddings is expected to be difficult. A representative from the association stated, "Cancellation does not qualify as a reason for exemption, and it cannot be forced upon the venues."

The Fair Trade Commission also plans to partially revise the standard terms and conditions for wedding hall use. Currently, the terms allow for a refund of deposits in cases of natural disasters, but there has been ongoing dispute between the wedding industry and users over whether infectious disease situations should be considered natural disasters. Between February 19 and 28, when COVID-19 cases began to surge, the '1372 Consumer Counseling Center' under the Fair Trade Commission received a total of 478 consumer complaints related to wedding services within just ten days. This is about 240 times the number of complaints (2 cases) received during a similar period (January 20?31). To prevent disputes, the Fair Trade Commission has agreed with the association to include a clause exempting cancellation penalties if social distancing is raised to Level 3. At Level 3, gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited, and facilities are required to suspend operations or close.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is also urging the Fair Trade Commission and the association to cooperate in reducing and exempting penalty fees, and plans to inspect whether quarantine rules are properly followed at wedding venues until September. A ministry official said, "We plan to review the on-site situation in preparation for the peak wedding season in autumn," adding, "We will also promote public awareness of daily quarantine measures such as sending congratulatory money online and providing return gifts instead of meals."

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