- Introduction of the KFTC’s policy and enforcement cases related to 'Digital Transformation' and 'Consumer Product Safety'
Overview of the OECD Consumer Policy Committee Ministerial Meeting
- Date: October 8 (Tue) – October 9 (Wed), 2024
- Venue: OECD Headquarters, Paris, France
- Organizer: OECD Consumer Policy Committee
- Theme: "Consumers at the Center of the Digital and Green Transition"
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (Chairman Han Ki-jeong, hereinafter referred to as the “KFTC”) will attend the OECD Consumer Policy Committee Ministerial Meeting (hereinafter referred to as the “Ministerial Meeting”), which will be held from October 8 (Tue) to October 9 (Wed), with Chairman Han Ki-jeong serving as the head delegate.
The OECD Consumer Policy Committee is a policy committee where representatives from consumer policy authorities of OECD member countries discuss current issues and future tasks related to consumer policy and law enforcement.
This Ministerial Meeting is significant as it is the first such meeting to be held at a ministerial level since the OECD Consumer Policy Committee was established in 1969, marking its 55th anniversary. The meeting will be attended by delegations from all 38 OECD member countries, as well as from non-member countries and other international organizations, totaling 65 delegations.
During the meeting, discussions will focus on topics such as "Protecting and Empowering Consumers in the Digital Transition," "Addressing New Consumer Product Safety Challenges in a Rapidly Changing Global Market," "Protecting and Empowering Consumers in the Green Transition," "International Cooperation for Consumer Protection," and "Promoting Development and Inclusiveness through Consumer Policy." Chairman Han will present and introduce the KFTC’s exemplary law enforcement and policy cases in discussions on "Protecting and Empowering Consumers in the Digital Transition" and "Addressing New Consumer Product Safety Challenges in a Rapidly Changing Global Market."
Specifically, in the meeting on October 8 (Tue), which will focus on "Protecting and Empowering Consumers in the Digital Transition," there will be discussions on new types of consumer harm caused by digital technologies, such as "dark patterns" (deceptive online practices), and the policies and enforcement actions taken by various countries to address these issues. Chairman Han plans to share the KFTC’s enforcement experiences, including cases such as Coupang’s manipulation of search rankings and Nexon’s manipulation of loot box probabilities, which were addressed this year. He will also introduce the amended E-Commerce Act, revised earlier this year to regulate dark patterns.
In the following session on the same day, titled "Addressing New Consumer Product Safety Challenges in a Rapidly Changing Global Market," the discussions will explore product safety issues arising from new trading environments and technological developments, such as the rise of cross-border e-commerce, and the role of consumer authorities in addressing these challenges. Chairman Han will explain the KFTC’s efforts to enhance product safety, including recent agreements with domestic and foreign online platform operators and measures announced to protect consumers from overseas online platforms.
On the following day, during the closing session, the delegations will adopt the "Ministerial Statement on Protecting and Empowering Consumers in the Digital and Green Transition," emphasizing the need for international cooperation among consumer authorities worldwide in response to these transitions. As a member of the vice-chairing countries* for this Ministerial Meeting, Chairman Han will deliver the closing remarks.
Chairing country: Australia; Vice-chairing countries: Canada, Colombia, Germany, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, European Union (EU)
Through its participation in this meeting, the KFTC aims to gain insights into the latest legislative and policy trends of consumer authorities abroad, which will inform improvements to domestic systems and law enforcement, and to strengthen cooperative frameworks with consumer authorities in other countries.