On the 18th, Han Gi-jung, the Chairperson of the Fair Trade Commission, stated that he would check the daily payment status of Homeplus suppliers weekly in relation to the unsettled payment situation.
During an emergency inquiry on 'Homeplus and MBK Partners' held by the National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee that day, Commissioner Han said, 'On the 13th, we conducted an emergency field inspection to understand the current payment status and the damage and difficulties faced by suppliers and entry companies.'
Commissioner Han noted, 'As a result of the field inspection, it has been provisionally confirmed that the total debt incurred in January was 379.1 billion won, of which approximately 87%, or 332.2 billion won, has already been paid.' He also stated, 'There have been consumer refund requests amounting to about 1 billion won for gift certificates sold by Homeplus since the initiation of rehabilitation proceedings, and it has been confirmed that the entire amount has been refunded.'
He continued, 'Prioritizing the prevention of damage to small business owners, we will check the daily payment status weekly and take timely action through payment orders if any payments are unpaid.' He added, 'To prevent recurrence, we will examine whether the current payment deadline under the large-scale distribution business law is appropriate and prepare measures for institutional improvement.'