"Homeplus unsettled payments amount to 27.2 billion won, putting member companies under financial strain"

The Korean Importers Association said on the 27th that import food companies are being threatened by unpaid supplier payments that arose during Homeplus' rehabilitation process, and urged the government and the National Assembly to prepare emergency measures.
A survey of member companies found that the unpaid amount for 10 respondents totaled 27.2 billion won. The association said nine of the responding companies were food-related businesses, adding that they were facing financial difficulties such as delayed payments to overseas suppliers, production disruptions, and reduced hiring.
The association explained that the unpaid amount consists of goods supplied after the start of the rehabilitation process to support Homeplus' normal operations, and that under the Debtor Rehabilitation and Bankruptcy Act, it qualifies as a public-interest claim subject to priority repayment. It warned that delays in repaying such claims could weaken the food manufacturing base and destabilize supply chains.
The association called on the government and the National Assembly to form an emergency interagency consultative body, provide emergency financial support for more than 50% of the confirmed public-interest claims, and require major stakeholders such as MBK Partners and Meritz Financial Group Inc. to come up with a responsible repayment plan.
An association official said, "This is not just a debt issue involving a single company. It is directly tied to the stability of the public food supply chain and food prices." The official added, "If public-interest claims are not protected, the damage could spread beyond manufacturing and logistics to the entire national supply chain."