This article was published on July 24, 2025, at 7 p.m. on the ChosunBiz RM Report site.
The government is expected to mandate the disclosure of 'Sdeume' prices by the end of this year. While the government had previously recommended price disclosure, it left it to the discretion of companies. However, as the industry has shown a lukewarm attitude towards price disclosure, it has decided to revise the system by imposing fines of up to 100 million won for violations (failure to disclose prices).
According to related departments on the 24th, the Fair Trade Commission is currently working on amending the 'Important Labeling and Advertising Guidelines.' On the 14th, the Presidential Committee on Policy Planning selected 'transparency in wedding service pricing' as a fast-track task, accelerating the revision process. Spokesperson Jo Seung-rae noted, 'The guidelines must be changed to require wedding venues and wedding planning companies to clearly display prices and refund conditions for each service.'
If the guidelines are amended, legal sanctions can be imposed on wedding venues and wedding planner companies that do not disclose prices on their websites. Businesses that omit or fail to post price information will be subject to fines of up to 100 million won in accordance with the 'Important Labeling and Advertising Guidelines.' Additionally, if stakeholders, such as executives of corporations, intentionally omit related information, fines of up to 10 million won may also be imposed separately.
A Fair Trade Commission official stated, 'The specific level of fines will be determined considering intent and severity,' adding that 'even simple non-disclosure may be subject to different fines based on the circumstances.'
The structural characteristics of the wedding market, where price information varies based on peak and off-peak seasons, days of the week, and times, will be reflected in the policy design process. The industry reflected that standard price disclosure is realistically difficult in a structure where ceremony costs can differ by millions of won based on timing, such as on auspicious days, Saturday afternoons, and Sunday lunchtimes. A Fair Trade Commission official stated, 'While we will consider the practical difficulties faced by businesses, we will uphold the principle that at a minimum, prices should be provided at a level predictable for consumers.'
On site, there are voices expressing difficulty in practical application while agreeing with the intent of the system. A wedding planner from Gangnam District in Seoul remarked, 'Sdeume prices often vary because companies promote them seasonally, and morning shoots are often cheaper than afternoon ones,' adding, 'The disclosed prices can change frequently, making it practically difficult to modify website information each time.' Another company representative stated, 'Even if prices are disclosed, we can't force companies to lower them, so I don't know how effective the policy of 'disclosure' really is.'
The Fair Trade Commission previously recommended voluntary price disclosure starting from January 27 this year, after signing agreements with major wedding venues and wedding planning companies last December. Although they encouraged updating and posting basic Sdeume prices and major selection item prices quarterly through the 'Fair Price' site or each company's homepage, the actual compliance rate was low. According to a Korea Consumer Agency survey, the external disclosure rate of price information for wedding planning companies was only 13.2%.
According to the 'Wedding Service Price Survey Results' from the Korea Consumer Agency, the nationwide average contract amount for wedding services exceeded 20 million won, with amounts in the Gangnam area reaching about 34 million won. Despite the burden of this 'weddingflation,' the difficulty in accurately grasping estimates has led to complaints among engaged couples that they do not understand why expenses are so high. The Korea Consumer Agency noted that the wedding service market ranked lowest among 40 industries in last year's consumer market evaluation index.
To improve this situation, the government is implementing various policies in addition to enforcing price disclosure. The Fair Trade Commission has established standard contracts for wedding planning services this year to clarify the criteria for penalties and additional option information, and it has ensured that price items for each service are displayed prominently in the contracts. Additionally, it aims to reduce controversies over 'hidden additional charges' by requiring that extra costs, such as for dress assistants and hairpieces, be disclosed in checklist form in advance.
The Fair Trade Commission is also conducting a 'Rational Wedding Service Use Campaign.' The recently ordered project includes a public competition, online content (YouTube videos, card news, etc.), the creation of a victim prevention guide, and policy proposals. A Fair Trade Commission official explained, 'This campaign aims to spread the culture that there is no need for excessively extravagant weddings with expensive venues or Sdeume.'