A travel agency that announced a suspension of operations right after police investigated it on suspicion of violating the National Security Act issued an additional statement regarding the dispute over delayed refunds. It said that two years after trips were halted, it would proceed with refunds or resume trips regardless of the results of investigations or lawsuits. Customers are pushing back, saying this is essentially a plan to postpone refunds for two years.
Youth education travel specialist Company A posted a statement with a remediation plan on an online forum on the morning of the 11th. Company A said, "We will ensure the youth trips currently underway are completed safely," and added, "From Aug. 15 to Dec. 31, we will conduct detailed consultations by email with customers, and once final talks are completed, we will send a confirmation regarding the refund or the schedule to resume travel."
It continued, "Two years after travel is halted, we will begin travel or refunds regardless of the outcome of lawsuits against prosecutors and police," adding, "We will add statutory interest for that period from the time of cancellation and reflect it in refunds and other measures."
Police are currently investigating Company A's management on suspicion of violating the National Security Act. In June, police transferred nine former and current officials of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the National Security Act, and they are also said to be looking into possible ties to Company A's management.
On the 4th, after police executed a search-and-seizure warrant, Company A the next day declared a suspension of operations, saying normal business activity was impossible.
In its statement that day, Company A also pointed to "crackdowns" by investigative authorities as the main cause of its management woes. Company A argued, "We want to ask whether it is even possible in the 21st century to impose a blanket overseas travel ban on employees because a member of a progressive party was hired, to trace accounts, and to conduct repeated tax audits."
It added, "We believe as a matter of common-sense principle that members of progressive parties can have jobs and that employees must not be discriminated against based on party affiliation," and said, "Those members of the progressive party have never engaged in party activities at the company or while leading trips."
Company A said, "Crackdowns by prosecutors and police are the biggest obstacle blocking the travel business," adding, "Our travel agency is corporations that can continue to grow if such crackdowns stop."
Company A said, "We will disclose all illegal acts carried out around the time of more than 10 years of unjust crackdowns and the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's rebellion, and we will pursue legal accountability." It said compensation from lawsuits would be used for refunds and other measures.
But even after Company A announced its remediation plan, customer concerns have not subsided. In a group chat of about 1,200 "Company A victims," reactions to the statement included, "It sounds like they will put all their energy into buying two years of time." There were also calls to "file a joint lawsuit."
The Korea Consumer Organization Council's 1372 Consumer Counseling Center also issued a consumer damage advisory the previous day as reports related to Company A poured in. Some customers say that even before this, after canceling travel contracts, refunds were repeatedly delayed for months. This month, there have been reports of cases where contact with the operator was cut off right before departure or trips were unilaterally canceled.