Jeong Cheong-rae on early-morning deliveries by large retailers: "We will firmly ensure measures to support traditional markets"

[Financial News] Democratic Party of Korea leader Jeong Cheong-rae reaffirmed on the 9th that he will prepare complementary measures for traditional markets and small business owners in neighborhood commercial districts, after a high-level party-government meeting decided to push for allowing early-morning delivery services by large discount stores and corporate supermarkets (SSMs).
At a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly the same day, Jeong stated, "At the high-level party-government meeting, we agreed to ease online regulations on large discount stores and others in order to correct regulatory imbalances in the distribution industry and expand consumer choice." He added, "In this process, we will carefully listen to voices on the ground so that small business owners are not left behind, and we will thoroughly prepare win-win measures that allow online and offline markets to coexist."
The Democratic Party, the government and the presidential office agreed at a high-level party-government meeting the previous day to push for revisions to the Distribution Industry Development Act, including allowing early-morning delivery operations by large discount stores, in order to curb the monopoly power of platform-based distributors such as Coupang. The bill, introduced by Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Dong-a, is reportedly set to move forward once measures are in place to offset potential damage to small business owners.
Jeong stressed, "Because this issue is directly tied to the livelihood of traditional market merchants in particular, our party has demanded that we put in place firm complementary measures in this area." He added, "The party, government and presidential office share the same understanding on this point."
Jeong’s emphasis on complementary measures stems from backlash inside and outside the party. After it became known at a working-level party-government meeting on the 4th that the government was considering allowing early-morning deliveries by large discount stores, Democratic Party lawmaker Oh Se-hee, who chairs the party’s National Committee for Small Business Owners, publicly voiced opposition, and several traditional market and small business organizations also issued condemnations. As small business owners are a key support base for the Democratic Party, the party has little choice but to respond sensitively ahead of the June local elections.

uknow@fnnews.com Kim Yun-ho Reporter