The agency said it had logged 1,650 complaints from 2022 through June this year against four of the country’s largest platforms — W Concept Korea, Musinsa, Ably Corporation and Kakao Style.
The annual caseload nearly doubled in two years, jumping from 278 in 2022 to 443 in 2023 and then surging again to 592 last year.
Complaints reached 337 in the first half of 2025 alone, up 30.6 percent from the same period a year earlier. Roughly four out of five disputes were filed by shoppers in their 20s and 30s, the core users of these apps. Women accounted for 83 percent of total complaints, compared with 17 percent from men.
The most frequent disputes involved contract withdrawals — cases in which buyers sought to cancel purchases and obtain refunds — which made up nearly half of all complaints.
Quality concerns, including defective or damaged products, accounted for 569 cases, while contract violations such as misleading terms numbered 127.
reporter
Kim Dong-young
davekim0807@ajupress.com
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