The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) will conduct the 2025 regular survey on subcontracting transactions starting on the 8th to correct unfair transactions between corporations. The goal is to improve transaction practices by reviewing overall violations of the Win-Win Cooperation Act, from whether the supply price indexation system is being followed to unpaid supply prices and failure to issue contracts.
Subcontracting transactions are transactions in which a corporation that performs manufacturing or construction outsources the production of goods to a small or midsize enterprise and receives the delivery, and fairness is required under the Win-Win Cooperation Act.
This year's survey will cover 15,000 corporations (3,000 principal contractors and 12,000 subcontractors) that actually had transactions in the second half of last year (July–December). The key items include compliance with the supply price indexation system, whether contracts were issued, payment of prices and adherence to due dates, unfair reductions and unfair determinations, and demands for technical data, focusing on whether the principal contractors have fulfilled their obligations.
This year's survey also revised its methodology to reflect a rapidly changing transaction environment. First, the sample of principal contractors was redesigned to expand the share of the Seoul metropolitan area and non-metropolitan areas from the previous level (32% metropolitan) to 50% each. Officials said this increased representativeness by reflecting the reality that corporations are concentrated in the metropolitan area. In addition, 500 corporations in vulnerable sectors where unfair transactions are frequent, such as manufacturing, construction, transportation, and warehousing, were selected for separate management to regularly check the rate of legal violations.
The questionnaire system will also change from one-way to two-way. Previously, only subcontractors were surveyed, but starting this year, a questionnaire for principal contractors has been added, allowing a more three-dimensional look into transaction practices. The survey period will also be expanded. Until now, only transactions in the first half of the year were surveyed, leaving second-half transactions in a blind spot. This time, starting with transactions in the second half of last year, the survey will cover all annual transactions beginning in 2026.
The survey will proceed in the following order: ▲ Stage 1: principal contractors' transaction status and questionnaire ▲ Stage 2: subcontractors' questionnaire ▲ Stage 3: on-site inspections of corporations suspected of unfair practices. During the survey, corporations that fully compensate subcontractors for damages and make voluntary corrections may be excluded from on-site inspections. An information session for corporations on the survey of subcontracting transactions will be held online on the 10th–11th.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) will mail participation guides to principal contractors, and related information will be posted on the comprehensive portal for subcontracting transactions. Lee Eun-cheong, director general of the Win-Win Cooperation Policy Bureau, said, "We will establish a sound order of transactions by strengthening representativeness and focusing inspections on vulnerable sectors, and we will work harder to protect the disadvantaged."