Ahead of the BTS comeback live concert to be held at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on the 21st, the Small Enterprise and Market Service (SEMAS) will conduct inspections to stabilize prices.
SEMAS said on the 18th that it asked traditional markets and the small-business sector to cooperate to prevent price gouging during local festivals and large-scale events and to boost consumer trust.
SEMAS sent official cooperation letters to related associations and groups, including the National Association of Merchants, traditional market merchant associations, and the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise (KFME), outlining measures to root out price gouging and asking them to ensure compliance with price labeling and the operation of reasonable prices. It also asked groups such as the Korea Federation of Restaurants and the Korea Motel Association to join forces to create a sound environment.
It emphasized the need for merchants' voluntary management and self-correction. This is because unfair practices can lead to administrative disadvantages for individual shops and small-business owners. The Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise (KFME) and the National Association of Merchants plan to carry out related campaigns and issue a joint statement.
The SEMAS Seoul Jungbu Center also ran the Dadawikseon campaign on the 17th at Gwangjang Market in Jongno-gu, Seoul, together with the local government and the merchants' association. The campaign aims to build a market that is ▲ accepting all credit cards and gift certificates, ▲ displaying all prices and origins, ▲ clean and pleasant so customers benefit, and ▲ circulating Onnuri gift certificates ethically, and safe from fires.
In Tae-yeon, chairman of SEMAS, said, "We will continue on-site guidance and cooperation with related organizations to create a market environment where consumers can shop with confidence and to help a culture of reasonable pricing take root across the small-business sector."