The government is moving to require Pilates and yoga facilities to notify customers at least 14 days before temporarily closing or shutting down, according to reports on the 29th. Currently, only gyms and other physical training centers must include advance notice of temporary or permanent closure in their standard contract terms, but this will be expanded to Pilates and yoga.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) plans as early as next month to establish standard contract terms requiring Pilates and yoga operators to notify users at least 14 days before the scheduled date of a temporary closure or shutdown if they suspend or discontinue operations. The Korea Fair Trade Commission will present standard terms for facility-use contracts that businesses enter into with customers. As a kind of guideline, if a company's individually set terms are significantly more unfavorable to users than these standard terms, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) will recommend corrections. If a business fails to comply, it could face up to a criminal referral to prosecutors.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) decided to create standard terms for Pilates and yoga because, while the number of locations is growing rapidly, measures to prevent harm have not kept pace. According to the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA), the Pilates and yoga market was about 3.5 trillion won last year. With a market measured in trillions, complaints are rising. The agency examined complaints related to Pilates in the same year and said cases involving nonrefunded fees after closure or delayed refunds increased from 11 in 2021 to 142 in 2024.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) also plans to include in the Pilates and yoga standard terms, beyond advance notice of temporary or permanent closure, the method for calculating refunds when a contract is terminated midterm and the obligations for businesses to explain terms to customers. A Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) official said, "Pilates and yoga have long been in a legal blind spot," adding, "We expect the standard terms to play a role in addressing this situation."