Beginning in June 2020, it will become mandatory to provide special shipping fee information for deliveries to islands. Jeju residents are wondering whether the burden of parcel delivery costs, charged extra for the islanders, may be reduced.

According to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province on the 26th, the Fair Trade Commission issued an amendment draft, “Notification on Providing Information on Goods in e-Commerce and Other Trades,” which is expected to be implemented in upcoming June.

The amendment mandates the provision of shipping cost information, including special shipping costs for island areas, for the customers to know the accurate shipping costs they need to pay.

The policy is expected to guarantee consumers’ right to know the accurate price information when purchasing products through e-commerce, so they can make reasonable consumption choices through comparing prices.

In particular, if the draft notice is passed, the local government where sellers are registered may impose sanctions on the companies that fail to comply.

Jeju Province will continue to monitor violators in order to ensure the effectiveness of the system, and require local governments to impose penalties.

“With the revision, we will be able to guarantee our citizens’ right to know and give them choices, as well as induce a reduction of special shipping costs through autonomous competition among similar companies,” said Sohn Yeong-jun, director at Bureau of Job and Economic Trade, Jeju Province. “We will do our best to operate the system by monitoring and imposing sanctions of violators in ways that our citizens can recognize,” he added.

Meanwhile, according to a survey of special shipping costs conducted jointly by Jeju Province and Korea Consumer Agency, special shipping costs were not informed in advance for 22% of all e-commerce transactions, which have constantly raised complaints by consumers in islands including Jeju.

To reduce the burden of special shipping costs, Jeju Province held a survey on the status, organized a seminar to improve the system, and has suggested relevant revisions to the Fair Trade Commission numerous times.