South Korea’s trade regulator said on Monday, 9 November, that it was imposing a fine of approximately 301 billion won, or about US$220 million, on e-commerce giant Coupang for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the food delivery market.
The regulator accused Coupang of requiring restaurants to offer terms as favourable as those available on competing platforms and penalising businesses that did not comply, severely restricting competition in the food-ordering app market.
Coupang required restaurants to meet six conditions, including menu prices, minimum order amounts, discounts and delivery fees. Restaurants that failed to meet those conditions risked losing a special designation allowing them to offer discounts and free delivery to Coupang’s paid members. By Rithy.
