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Rogers, interim CEO of Coupang Korea. (Photo courtesy of Yonhap News Agency) |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Mediation cases surge annually as overall platform-related disputes continue to rise
Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency data show that Coupang has recorded the highest number of dispute mediation cases in South Korea’s online platform sector over the past five years.
According to materials submitted on Feb. 15 to the National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee by Rep. Lee Yang-soo of the People Power Party, Coupang accounted for 458 dispute mediation requests filed with the agency between 2021 and last month—the most among all online platform operators.
Naver ranked second with 220 cases, followed by Woowa Brothers (105), and Coupang Eats (56).
Coupang-related mediation requests have risen steadily year by year—from 36 cases in 2021 to 51 in 2022, 70 in 2023, 101 in 2024, and 171 last year. This year alone, 29 cases were filed in January, far exceeding peers such as Naver (5), Woowa Brothers (3), and Coupang Eats (1).
Of the 458 Coupang-related cases, 380 have been processed: 206 were successfully mediated, 18 failed to reach agreement, and 156 were closed without mediation.
Overall, dispute mediation requests across all sectors have also trended upward, increasing from 2,894 cases in 2021 to 4,726 last year. In January this year, 399 cases were filed. By category, disputes most frequently involved fair trade and subcontracting issues.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
