[Invest&Law] Han-Korea Law Society Successfully Concludes the 41st Legal Forum on 'Chinese Platforms and Consumer Protection'

The Korea-China Law Association (President Woo Byung-chang) held the 41st Legislative Forum on the 10th at the GR Conference Room on the 24th floor of Sejong Law Firm in Cheongjin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, under the theme "Chinese Platforms - Consumer Protection."

Byun Woong-jae, Chairman of the Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee at the Korea Consumer Agency, delivered a presentation titled "Review of Consumer Protection Issues Related to the Entry of Chinese Online Platforms into Korea." Following this, Professor Shin Ji-hye from the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Law School participated in the discussion. The session was moderated by Attorney Kim Yoon-hee of Sejong.

Chairman Byun introduced ▲the current status of Chinese capital platforms entering Korea ▲inspection of consumer harm, transaction safety, and personal information protection ▲evaluation of existing response directions ▲and future improvement directions.

Byun stated, "The government's response, which included signing voluntary agreements with the targeted companies and establishing a hotline to resolve consumer issues during the response process to C-Commerce (China Commerce), is commendable," adding, "It is positive that practical problem-solving was attempted without causing unnecessary diplomatic conflicts between Korea and China or excessively provoking anti-China sentiments among the public."

He continued, "However, it is questionable whether relying on a government-led approach and existing laws and systems can sufficiently protect Korean consumers," suggesting, "A significant portion of routine monitoring related to C-Commerce should be entrusted to the private sector, while the government should focus on sanctions for detected violations, urgent institutional improvements, and research."

Professor Shin said, "We should no longer respond solely to China's e-commerce market but consider the entire data industry and, further, the national economy as a whole," adding, "Based on today's presentation, I hope that proper regulatory proposals, control measures, and consumer protection plans will be developed with heightened awareness."

Reporter Ahn Hyun, Legal Times

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