Republic of Korea: Amended consumer protection guidelines in e-commerce establishing specific interpretation standards and recommendations for dark pattern regulation enter into force

On 24 October 2025, the Fair Trade Commission’s amended consumer protection guidelines in e-commerce, establishing specific interpretation standards and recommendations for dark pattern regulation, enter into force. The amendments follow the entry into force of the Amended Electronic Commerce Act in February 2025. The revised guidelines clarify application criteria for six regulated types of online dark patterns, including hidden renewal, sequential price disclosure, pre-selected options, misleading visual hierarchy, obstruction of withdrawal or cancellation, and repetitive interference. Hidden renewals involve automatically increasing subscription fees or converting free trials to paid services without proper consent. The revised guidelines specify that businesses must obtain separate, explicit consent from consumers before any price increases or conversions, not just general permission at signup. If proper consent is not obtained, businesses must take necessary measures, such as cancelling the automatic payment rather than allowing charges to proceed. Drip pricing refers to showing only partial costs in initial product listings rather than the total price, including taxes, fees, and shipping. The guidelines specify which screens must display complete pricing information and which costs must be included in the total amount shown to consumers from the first viewing. The revision also provides concrete examples of other prohibited practices, including pre-selecting add-on purchases, using visual design to manipulate consumer choices, making cancellation procedures unnecessarily complicated, and repeatedly asking consumers to reconsider their decisions through pop-ups. Beyond explicit prohibitions, the guidelines include recommendations for businesses to voluntarily improve their practices. The recommendations encourage clear communication of variable pricing conditions, transparent disclosure when optional selections involve additional costs, and intuitive placement of cancellation and withdrawal buttons in easily accessible locations.