By Yun Suh-young
Major discount stores are breathing a sigh of relief as most of them are now free to operate Sundays.
The reversal came after a court accepted their demands that local governments should not be able to regulate operating hours.
Until now, major discount stores such as E-Mart and Lotte Mart, run by conglomerates, had been restricted from opening on every second and fourth Sunday of the month. Local governments strived to put the regulation in place as a means to protect mom-and-pop stores and traditional markets.
In Seoul, major discount stores in Gangnam, Gwangjin, Dongjak, Seocho, Yangcheon, and Yeongdeungpo are again allowed to operate on Sundays. Those located in South Jeolla Province’s Naju, Gwangyang, and Suncheon are free to resume regular opening hours as well. In Busan, all of the major discount stores in all districts are free from operation hour regulations and will open again starting this Sunday.
This applies to about 80 percent of all the large discount stores operating in the country, including 34 E-Marts, 16 Home plus stores and 9 Lotte Marts.
Out of 146 E-Mart stores, 115 of them or 79 percent, will open again every Sunday. Home plus will have 114 out of 130 stores (87 percent) and Lotte Mart will have 80 out of 94 of their stores (85 percent) again operating on Sundays.
Super supermarkets (SSM) will also resume a full Sunday service. E-Mart Everyday will re-operate 85 percent of its stores on Sundays, Home plus Express 83 percent, and Lotte Supermarket 81 percent.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) had ordered 25 district offices to revise the ordinance to enforce regulations on discount stores earlier this year. In Seoul, 64 discount stores and 267 SSMs had been subject to the revision and those failing to comply faced fines of up to 30 million won.
It is too early to say that all major discount stores and SSMs will return to operating on Sundays as the court simply ruled that the regulations were unlawful and local governments have yet to re-revise the ordinance which may take a few months.