Consumer dispute mediation
Dispute mediation organization
- The Korea Consumer Agency has a Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee to mediate disputes between consumers and businesses (Article 60(1) of the Framework Act on Consumers).
Exclusion from dispute mediation
- Even if a dispute mediation is applied for at the Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee of the Korea Consumer Agency, it is excluded from dispute mediation if ① financial dispute mediation has been applied for at the Financial Supervisory Service or if damage relief of the same content as the one that has undergone dispute mediation is applied for again; or ② damage relief is claimed at the Korea Consumer Agency and then damage relief of the same content is applied for at the Financial Supervisory Service (Article 35(2) of the Framework Act on Consumers; Article 28 of the Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Consumers).
Dispute mediation procedure
Filing a complaint
- If a financial dispute occurs, you can file a complaint at the Consumer Counseling Center of the Korea Consumer Agency (see Article 55(1) of the Framework Act on Consumers).
- Complaints can be received by phone, internet, mail, or facsimile, or you can visit in person to receive complaint counseling and file.
Recommendation for agreement
- The head of the Korea Consumer Agency can recommend an agreement on damage compensation to the parties of the damage relief application (Article 57 of the Framework Act on Consumers).
Application for mediation
- The head of the Korea Consumer Agency must apply for dispute mediation to the Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee without delay if no agreement is reached within 30 days from the day the damage relief application is received (the main body of Article 58 of the Framework Act on Consumers).
- However, for damage relief application cases where testing, inspection, or investigation is required to determine the cause of the damage and a considerable amount of time is needed, the processing period can be extended by up to 60 days (proviso to Article 58 of the Framework Act on Consumers; Subparagraph 4 of Article 44 of the Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Consumers).
※ You can apply for consumer dispute mediation through the Consumer Counseling Center website (
https://www.ccn.go.kr/), and you can also receive detailed guidance through the consumer counseling phone (☎1372).
Mediation period
- The Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee must complete the dispute mediation within 30 days from the day the dispute mediation application is received (Article 66(1) of the Framework Act on Consumers).
- Despite those mentioned above, the Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee can extend the period if there is a valid reason and the dispute mediation cannot be completed within 30 days. Here, the reason and deadline must be specified and notified to the parties and their representatives (Article 66(2) of the Framework Act on Consumers).
Effect of dispute mediation
- The chairperson of the Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee must promptly inform the parties of the contents of the dispute mediation once it is concluded (Article 67(1) of the Framework Act on Consumers).
- The notified party must inform the Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee of their acceptance or nonacceptance of the dispute mediation content within 15 days from the day they received the notification (former part of Article 67(2) of the Framework Act on Consumers).
· If the party does not express their intention within 15 days, it is considered as accepted (latter part of Article 67(2) of the Framework Act on Consumers).
- If the party accepts the content of the dispute mediation or is deemed to have accepted it, the content has the same effect as a judicial settlement (Article 67(4) of the Framework Act on Consumers).