Eradicating Price Gouging at Accommodations and Restaurants Ahead of BTS Concert

SEMAS Sends Official Notice to Small Business Sector

"Dadaikseon" Campaign Held the Previous Day

The Small Enterprise and Market Service (SEMAS) has launched efforts to eradicate price gouging ahead of the peak season for local festivals and large-scale events.

On the 16th, a road closure notice was installed at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, ahead of BTS's full-group comeback performance. 2026.3.16 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

On the 18th, SEMAS announced that it had issued guidelines for eradicating price gouging to the Korea Federation of Merchants Associations, traditional market merchant associations, the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprises, and related cooperatives and organizations. The agency also requested cooperation via official notices to ensure reasonable operations at accommodations, restaurants, and retail stores.

In particular, with a significant increase in domestic and international tourists expected due to the BTS concert to be held on March 21 at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, SEMAS called on related organizations such as the Korea Foodservice Industry Association and the Korea Hotel Association to cooperate in creating a sound tourism and consumption environment.

SEMAS also emphasized the importance of merchants' voluntary management and self-regulation, noting that unfair practices could result in administrative disadvantages for individual stores and small businesses. In response, the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprises and the Korea Federation of Merchants Associations plan to conduct joint campaigns and issue a joint statement with related small business cooperatives and organizations.

Additionally, on the previous day, the SEMAS Seoul Central Center visited Gwangjang Market and, together with local governments and merchant associations, promoted the "Dadaikseon Campaign" to build a traditional market that customers can trust and visit with confidence.

The Dadaikseon Campaign refers to accepting all credit cards and gift certificates ("Da" means all), clearly displaying all prices and origins of products, ensuring a clean and pleasant environment so that customers can benefit ("Ik" means benefit), promoting honest distribution of Onnuri gift certificates, and maintaining a market that is safe from fires.

Chairman In Taeyeon stated, "Through these measures, we will continue to provide on-site guidance and cooperate with relevant organizations in order to create a market environment where consumers can shop with confidence and to establish a culture of reasonable pricing across the small business sector."

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