Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2025
Investigation into short-term bond sales before rehabilitation filing
South Korean prosecutors reportedly sought arrest warrants for MBK chairman Michael ByungJu Kim and three other executives over alleged fraud and alleged violations of the Capital Markets Act connected with Homeplus short-term bond sales before the corporate rehabilitation filing. The supplied material does not provide a final adjudication.
2022
Homeplus fined over supplier promotion costs
Fine or penalty
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission fined Homeplus 2.42 billion won and ordered it to correct its business practice over shifting discount-promotion costs to suppliers and delaying supplier contracts. Homeplus said it respected the decision and would take measures to prevent recurrence.
Company response
Clarification — Homeplus
“We haven't received the FTC's resolution so it is difficult to confirm if we have violated a specific law. However, we respect the FTC's decision and will take every measure to prevent the same issue from happening again,” a Homeplus official said.
Source excerpt
Homeplus also violated the Fair Trade Act by delaying the issuance of 86 contracts signed with suppliers by up to three days during a four-year period.
“We haven't received the FTC's resolution so it is difficult to confirm if we have violated a specific law. However, we respect the FTC's decision and will take every measure to prevent the same issue from happening again,” a Homeplus official said.
Homeplus, one of Korea's three major discount store chains, was fined 2.42 billion won ($2.01 million), Wednesday, by the antitrust agency for shifting discount promotion costs to its suppliers between January 2017 and January 2021. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) also ordered the retailer to correct the business practice.
2022
South Korea fines Homeplus for passing promotion costs to suppliers
Fine or penalty
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission decided to fine Homeplus 2.42 billion won for unfairly passing sales promotion costs to subcontractors. The regulator said Homeplus Express made 45 suppliers bear costs without related prior contracts.
Source excerpt
South Korea's antitrust regulator said Wednesday it has decided to fine discount store chain Homeplus 2.42 billion won ($2 million) for unfairly passing on sales promotion costs to its subcontractors.
Homeplus Express, a supermarket unit of Homeplus, made 45 suppliers shoulder the costs worth around 1.7 billion won in 2017-2020 without related prior contracts, according to the Fair Trade Commission.
2021
South Korea's antitrust regulator fines Homeplus
Fine or penalty
South Korea's antitrust regulator fined Homeplus 468 million won for unfairly passing sales promotion costs to contractors. The Korea Fair Trade Commission said Homeplus had made multiple suppliers shoulder costs without prior related contracts and ordered corrective measures.
Source excerpt
Homeplus violated the large retailer business act by making multiple suppliers shoulder the costs worth around 720 million won in 2017 without prior signing of related contracts, according to the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC).
South Korea's antitrust regulator said Monday it has decided to fine discount store chain Homeplus 468 million won ($414,500) for unfairly passing on sales promotion costs to its contractors.
The KFTC also ordered the company to take corrective measures.