The Democratic Party of Korea's National Committee for Small Business Owners and the Euljiro Committee pushed back against the party leadership and the government over the bill on "large retailers' online dawn delivery." The party and government plan to revise the Distribution Industry Development Act to curb Coupang's dominance in the dawn delivery sector, but they argue that easing regulations on large retailers will ultimately harm small business owners.
The Democratic Party's small business committee held a rally opposing the push for "large retailers' online dawn delivery" at 1 p.m. on the 19th on the steps in front of the main building of the National Assembly. The rally was attended by Rep. Oh Se-hee, the committee chair for small business owners, Rep. Min Byeong-deok, the Euljiro Committee chair, and Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Nam-geun, Kim Moon-soo, Park Hong-bae, and Heo Yeong.
Democratic Party Rep. Oh Se-hee said, "Large retailers already have a significant impact on local commercial districts with just their offline stores, and if online dawn delivery is allowed, conglomerates will take over neighborhood shopping areas, and the damage will fall on small business owners and the self-employed," adding, "The push for large retailers' online dawn delivery must stop."
Rep. Min Byeong-deok of the same party said, "Under the popular sovereignty government created by small business owners and the self-employed (Lee Jae-myung administration), a policy is being pursued to allow large retailers' dawn delivery, and the Euljiro Committee and the small business committee were shocked that the Democratic Party leadership agreed to it," adding, "Why should neighborhood commercial districts shoulder Coupang's problems instead?"
He continued, "The Distribution Act was created to protect small merchants and neighborhood commercial districts from large retailers with massive capital," adding, "Allowing large retailers' dawn delivery is not simply about extending delivery hours, but about shaking the principle of mutual growth that our society has painstakingly built over the past 10-plus years."
Earlier, the party, government, and presidential office held a working-level consultation last month and discussed allowing large retailers' online dawn delivery to improve Coupang's monopoly and oligopoly. The key is to add an exception clause to the current Distribution Act's restriction on business hours stating, "This does not apply to business activities for electronic commerce." If this amendment passes, large retailers and super-supermarkets (SSMs) will also be able to deliver during late-night hours.