"Deposit Forfeited Even for Cancellations Made Two Years in Advance"...Gwangju’s ‘Wedding Abuse’ Leaves Engaged Couples in Tears

by Min Hyunki

Published 22 Apr.2026 16:01(KST)

Over 1,010 Complaints Filed with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Over Three Years
Contract Cancellation Damages Account for 68% of All Cases
Zero Companies in Gwangju and South Jeolla Disclose Prices on Chamgagyeok

Couples preparing for what should be the most blessed moment of their lives are shedding tears before even beginning, bound by the “deposit trap.” In particular, some wedding halls and wedding planner companies in Gwangju are reportedly engaging in one-sided “no refund” practices, disregarding even the standard contract terms set by the Fair Trade Commission. There are growing calls for urgent countermeasures.

Wedding Image. Pixabay

"1 Million Won Vanished in Just 1 Second"…Refund Refused Even for Reservations Made Two Years in Advance

Ms. A (34), an office worker planning to get married in October next year, recently had a shocking experience at a well-known wedding hall in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. Swept up by the atmosphere during the consultation, she signed the contract and paid a deposit of 1 million won, but after returning home, she changed her mind for personal reasons and notified the venue of her intention to cancel on the same day. At that point, there were still nearly two years left until the wedding date.

Ms. A’s expectation that a full refund would be possible was shattered by the company’s firm refusal. The wedding hall stated, “Our policy is that from the moment the contract is signed and sealed, the deposit is non-refundable for any reason,” citing only their internal regulations.

Ms. A expressed her anger, saying, “Canceling a wedding time with two years left doesn’t prevent the hall from taking other reservations, so not refunding even a single won is blatant abuse of power. The fact that they don’t even recognize a change of mind on the contract day is outrageous and makes my hands tremble.”

Among 1,010 Complaints, Most Damages Occur at the ‘Contract Stage’…Increasing Every Year

In fact, according to a recent analysis of wedding industry-related complaints by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, there were a total of 1,010 consumer complaints filed over the three years from April 2021 to March 2024.

Notably, the types of damages are significant. Of all complaints, 68.3% were related to “contract cancellation” and “breach of contract.” This means that prospective couples are suffering concentrated damages at the contract stage-before receiving any actual services-due to refusals to refund or unreasonable penalty clauses.

The situation in Gwangju is even more dire. As large wedding halls in the region raise venue and meal fees amid the trend of “wedding-flation,” they leverage their dominant position to ignore the Fair Trade Commission’s “Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards” and impose their own unfair contract terms, leaving couples with no effective means of recourse.

Only 5 Companies Publicly Disclose ‘True Prices’…Mandatory Price Disclosure Rendered Meaningless

Another problem is that government measures are not being implemented effectively in the field. The Fair Trade Commission has mandated the disclosure of wedding service prices to improve unfair contract practices, but actual compliance is dismal.

Only a handful of companies nationwide have properly disclosed their prices on “Chamgagyeok,” the price information portal run by the Korea Consumer Agency. In fact, not a single wedding package (studio, dress, makeup-collectively known as “Sdeume”) company or wedding hall in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province has disclosed their prices.

As a result, prospective couples in Gwangju lament, “Each company charges whatever they want, and it’s common to be asked for hundreds of thousands of won more in additional fees. Since there’s no price information on the government portal, we’re always anxious that we might have been ripped off even after going to the trouble of signing a contract in person.”

Status of Standard Contract Adoption Remains Unclear…Urgent Need for Local Government Investigation

Contracts with wedding planner companies are also causing grief for consumers. The Fair Trade Commission established and distributed a “Standard Contract for Wedding Preparation Agency Services” to prevent unfair agreements, but this is only a recommendation without legal binding force.

Most companies are ignoring the adoption of the standard contract, and even the government does not have accurate data on its implementation in the industry. Wedding planner companies refuse refunds for same-day cancellations, citing “consultation fees” or “labor costs,” and consumers are forced to forfeit deposits of hundreds of thousands of won before even being able to assess service quality.

A representative of the local wedding industry said, “Some wedding halls in Gwangju operate their own regulations that mock the standard contract terms, abusing their monopoly. They exploit the fact that it takes a lot of time and money for consumers to file lawsuits or complaints.”