May 22, 09:00 AM

South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission Probes Coupang’s WOW Membership, SK Telecom Spam Response, and Data Providers Google, Naver, Kakao

South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has intensified its regulatory actions across several sectors. On May 21, the Korea Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook inspected the response of the country's three major mobile carriers—SK Telecom, KT, and LG U+—to illegal spam messages linked to a cyber intrusion incident involving SK Telecom. Subsequently, the FTC has strengthened cooperation with the Korea Consumer Agency to monitor unfair labeling and advertising practices, focusing on consumer protection against deceptive online advertisements, including AI washing and products related to childcare. On May 22, the FTC launched an on-site investigation into Coupang's WOW Membership service amid allegations of tying the subscription with Rocket Delivery, OTT, and Eats services, potentially abusing market dominance. Furthermore, on May 23, the FTC initiated written investigations targeting major domestic and international data service providers such as Google, Naver, and Kakao. These probes aim to analyze transaction structures and competition conditions in seven sectors, including online advertising, social media, and OTT platforms.

#FTC #Korea Communications Commission #SK Telecom #KT #Korea Consumer Agency #Coupang #WOW Membership #Rocket Delivery #OTT #Eats #Google #Naver #Kakao

Written with ChatGPT (GPT-4).

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