"Zero Studio, Dress, Makeup Price Disclosure" Newlyweds Trapped in 'Blind Contracts'... Hyangyup Kwon Proposes Labeling and Advertising Act Amendment

1,010 Cases of Consumer Damage in the Wedding Industry Over the Past Three Years
Contract Cancellations and Non-Fulfillment Account for 68.3%
Kwon Hyangyup: "Blind Contracts That Deceive Newlyweds"

Hyangyup Kwon, a member of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Suncheon, Gwangyang, Gokseong, and Gurye in South Jeolla Province), announced on March 19 that she has sponsored a partial amendment to the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising (the “Labeling and Advertising Act Amendment”) to prevent wedding industry-related damages for newlyweds and to strengthen consumer rights.

The current law prohibits business operators from engaging in false, exaggerated, or deceptive labeling and advertising practices and stipulates that business operators are liable for damages if victims suffer as a result. However, it has been pointed out that consumer protection is insufficient because consumers, despite being able to claim damages for unfair labeling and advertising, are still bound by the contract itself.

Hyangyup Kwon, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Recently, in the wedding industry, unfair practices have continued, especially among wedding halls and wedding planning agencies (collectively known as “Studio, Dress, Makeup” or “Sudeume” for studios, dresses, and makeup), such as undisclosed pricing, demands for additional payments, and refusal to issue refunds when contracts are canceled.

According to an analysis of complaints related to the wedding industry by the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission, there were a total of 1,010 consumer complaints over the three years between April 2021 and March 2024, with the number increasing each year. Of these, “contract cancellation” and “contract non-fulfillment” accounted for 68.3%, indicating that most damages occur at the contract stage.

Furthermore, although the Fair Trade Commission (hereinafter referred to as the FTC) has mandated price disclosure to improve unfair contractual practices, not a single “Studio, Dress, Makeup” company has published its prices on the Korea Consumer Agency’s price information portal “Chamgagyeok,” and only five wedding hall companies have done so.

Additionally, while the FTC has established a “Standard Contract for Wedding Planning Agencies,” it is not legally binding, and the extent of adoption within the industry is unknown.

Accordingly, the amendment allows consumers to cancel a contract if it was concluded based on false or deceptive labeling or advertising regarding the content of the goods or services, thereby providing stronger protection for consumer rights.

In this regard, France’s Civil Code stipulates that future performance contracts—such as those for weddings and travel—can be canceled if they are entered into by mistake, fraud, or coercion. In Japan, the Consumer Contract Act allows contracts to be canceled if the consumer is misled or provided with information that is untrue regarding important matters.

In the United Kingdom, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act prohibits the omission of material information during the purchase solicitation stage.

Kwon stated, “Unfair practices taking advantage of the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ nature of the wedding market—such as ‘blind contracts’ that deceive and exploit newlyweds—continue to be repeated. We must not allow a structure where victims of false and deceptive contracts are left to shoulder the burden to persist any longer.”

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