7 TV home shopping businesses fined W4 bil. for unfair practices
Korea Fair Trade Commission Chairwoman Joh Sung-wook / Korea Times fileBy Kim Bo-eunThe Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) said Sunday it had imposed 4.15 billion won ($3.46 million) in fines on seven TV home shopping businesses for unfair practices such as making vendors pay for promotional costs. The seven are GS Shop, Lotte Homeshopping, NS Shopping, CJ OnStyle, Hyundai Home Shopping, Home & Shopping and Gongyoung Shopping."We have ordered the seven companies to correct their practices and pay a combined total of 4.15 billion won in fines for violating regulations on large retailers using their superior status in operations with vendors," the KTFC stated.The watchdog said the businesses used their superior status to force unfair practices on vendors, such as making them pay for promotions or making employees of vendors work for them, from January 2015 to June of last year.The seven companies made their vendors pay for giveaways provided for promotional purposes. The firms also made employees of vendors work as guests, models, or audience members on their shows without contract
