6 in 10 South Koreans Support Easing or Abolishing Large Retail Store Closures

A recent survey revealed that 6 out of 10 South Koreans believe the regulations mandating closures of large retail stores should be eased or abolished.

Conducted by Winji Korea Consulting on behalf of the Korean Distribution Association, the survey polled 2,000 adults nationwide from April 1 to 5. It found that 28.7% of respondents supported abolishing the mandatory closure regulations, while 30.8% advocated for easing them. Combined, these responses accounted for 59.5% of the total. In contrast, 30.4% of participants preferred to maintain the current regulations.

Only 26.9% agreed that mandatory closures are necessary to protect traditional markets and local businesses, while 39.8% disagreed.

Regarding operating hour regulations for large retail stores, 32.0% favored easing the restrictions, 30.4% wanted to keep them as they are, and 26.8% supported abolishing them. Additionally, 65.1% of respondents believed early morning deliveries should be allowed, while 15.8% opposed this.

However, when it comes to limiting the establishment of large retail stores within a 1-kilometer radius of traditional markets, 46.5% preferred to strengthen or maintain these restrictions, compared to 43.1% who supported easing or abolishing them.

In the past month, 89.8% of respondents reported purchasing essential goods from offline large retail stores, followed by 75.0% from online platforms, 46.6% from convenience stores, 39.1% from specialty shops, and 37.7% from traditional markets.

Additionally, 75.8% of participants felt that large retailers are facing a crisis.

The margin of error for the survey is ±2.19 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Professor Jang Myung-kyun of Hoseo University, who oversaw the survey, stated, "It is necessary to reconsider the large retail store regulation policies that have been in place for over a decade and shift the focus of future distribution industry policies from maintaining regulations to improving them for consumer benefit."

Meanwhile, Park Yong-jin, vice-chairman of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee, emphasized that the mandatory closure system for large retail stores is not adequately responding to changes in the distribution environment, calling for a comprehensive review of the system. In a social media post on June 10, he remarked, "The effectiveness of a policy is determined by its results, not intentions. It is time to reassess regulations created over a decade ago based on market conditions that no longer apply to today's consumer environment."

He added, "The market has changed, consumer behavior has evolved, and the distribution environment is entirely different from what it was ten years ago. Regulations must not remain stuck in the past."