[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] Seoul, June 30, 2025 – Coupang has requested a consent decree from the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) as it faces an in-depth investigation over alleged tying practices involving its paid membership program, WOW Membership.



The request is seen as a preemptive move by Coupang in response to the Yoon administration’s increased scrutiny of platform dominance, including calls for regulatory reforms such as a cap on delivery app fees.



Under scrutiny is Coupang’s practice of bundling multiple services – including free Coupang Eats delivery and Coupang Play streaming – within its WOW Membership, which currently boasts over 14 million subscribers. The KFTC views this not merely as a service bundle, but potentially as a leveraging strategy to extend market dominance, particularly in the food delivery sector.



Coupang Eats' monthly active users (MAU) rose sharply from 6.25 million in March 2024 to 10.44 million in April 2025, while rival Baemin remained stagnant at 21.75 million MAU.



The KFTC has conducted two onsite investigations since a complaint filed by the civic group People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy in mid-2023.



Coupang’s move is widely interpreted as a strategic exit route to avoid prolonged legal proceedings and align with the current government's platform fairness agenda. The decision also mirrors Google’s recent consent decree with the KFTC regarding its YouTube Music bundling issue.



A KFTC spokesperson confirmed Coupang’s intent, stating, “Coupang has recently expressed its willingness to pursue a consent decree, and we are currently exchanging opinions.”

 

 

 

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