Korea Publishers Association Urges Coupang: "Present a Roadmap, Not Token 'Coexistence'"

Coupang Expands Book Distribution
Korea Publishers Association Issues Critical Statement
"Unfair Practices Including Delayed Settlements and Forced Incentives"
Rejects 'Coexistence' Claims... Demands Concrete Roadmap

The Korea Publishers Association has called on Coupang, which is under suspicion for demanding unfair settlement methods and incentive payments from publishers while expanding its book distribution, to present concrete preliminary measures and a roadmap, stating that token gestures of coexistence are not a solution. Previously, Coupang signed a business agreement with the Korean Publishers Association, claiming it was for mutual growth, but the vague content of the agreement has raised questions about its sincerity both inside and outside the industry.

Logo of the Korea Publishers Association. Provided by the Korea Publishers Association

On September 22, the Korea Publishers Association released a statement, saying, "We recognize the industry's concerns that Coupang's business practices are seriously disrupting the order of book distribution," and pointed out, "As Coupang's influence has grown, a host of issues have accumulated in the publishing sector, including transaction contracts that do not reflect industry realities, delayed settlements, forced growth incentives, and the commercial use of sales data, to name just a few."

The association went on to say, "Promoting a token 'coexistence agreement' without addressing these structural problems is no different from trying to agree on a solution without diagnosing the cause," and emphasized, "Coexistence should be proven through process and results, not just slogans. What is needed now is not to justify actions with rhetoric, but for Coupang to present specific and verifiable preliminary measures on what will be fixed, how, and by when, as well as a clear roadmap for implementation."

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