Users will be able to get their annual fees refunded even if they use a single paid membership benefit offered by performance venues and ticketing platforms after joining. The Korea Fair Trade Commission said on the 6th that it issued corrective orders to venues that applied terms and conditions making annual fee refunds impossible even if users used a paid membership benefit just once.
Performance venues and ticketing platforms have induced paid membership sign-ups by offering benefits such as early booking rights for popular shows or performance discounts. They also stipulated in their terms that annual fees are nonrefundable if a member uses a benefit even once, to prevent consumers from enjoying the benefits and then stopping use of the paid membership.
However, the Korea Fair Trade Commission judged that such terms effectively impose the full annual fee on consumers as a penalty and violate the Act on the Regulation of Terms and Conditions, including Article 6 (General principles). Article 6, Paragraph 2, Subparagraph 1 of the Act deems "clauses unreasonably disadvantageous to customers" to be unfair terms and void.
Businesses that received corrective orders will revise their terms to allow full refunds within a set period (14–30 days), and if a member has used benefits already provided, to refund the remaining amount after deducting a penalty corresponding to those benefits.
The 19 performance venues and ticketing platforms that received corrective orders from the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) are Seoul Arts Center, Lotte Concert Hall, Gwangju Arts Center, Busan Cultural Center, Daejeon Arts Center, Korean Sound Culture Center, Suseong Artpia, Mapo Arts Center, Daegu Opera House, Gangdong Arts Center, Busan Cinema Center, Gangneung Arts Center, National Theater Company of Korea, Daejeon Civic Yeonjeong Gugak Center, Pohang Culture and Arts Center, Dangjin Arts Center, National Gugak Center, Interpark, and Club Balcony.