Republic of Korea: Korea Fair Trade Commission issued ruling in investigation into YeogiEottae over abuse of bargaining position in accommodation advertising

On 12 August 2025, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) issued a ruling against YeogiEottae with a fine of KRW 1 billion and imposed corrective and notification orders for abuse of superior bargaining position in the online accommodation booking market. It was highlighted that YeogiEottae bundled coupons with premium advertisement (ad) products including “Top Recommended,” funding them through partner ad fees, but setting a one-day validity period that caused unused coupons to expire without refund. The ruling specified that this deprived lodging businesses of cost recovery and breached fair trade norms.