The group, UHD Korea, said on Friday that it filed a petition with the Fair Trade Commission against several companies, including Chinese electronics firms TCL and Xiaomi.
The complaint alleges that the manufacturers promoted their products as UHD-capable without including the ATSC 3.0 tuners required to receive terrestrial UHD broadcasts in South Korea.
The tuners are essential for accessing over-the-air UHD broadcasts, and their absence has led to mounting frustration among consumers who purchased the sets expecting full UHD functionality, according to UHD Korea. The organization said it has received a wave of complaints through its consumer call center.
“Terrestrial UHD broadcasting is not merely a technical feature — it is a public good, a universal service,” said Im Jung-gon, secretary general of UHD Korea. “Marketing televisions that cannot access this service as ‘UHD TVs’ undermines consumer rights.”
While the Chinese-made televisions do offer panels capable of displaying UHD resolution, UHD Korea argues that resolution alone is insufficient to meet the definition of a UHD TV in South Korea. Broadcast compatibility, it says, is a critical component of the standard.
Inquiries from consumers to the manufacturers have reportedly yielded only technical explanations about display specifications, with little clarity on the limitations of broadcast reception.
At present, only televisions made by domestic manufacturers Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics meet the standards necessary to receive terrestrial UHD signals in South Korea. Televisions from foreign brands, including those purchased directly from overseas, typically do not include the required tuners.
UHD Korea is urging both government agencies and retail channels to implement clearer labeling and stricter guidelines to ensure consumers can determine whether a TV supports local UHD broadcasting before making a purchase.
reporter
Kim Dong-young
davekim0807@ajupress.com
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