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Regulatory Radar · South Korea (National Assembly; Korea Fair Trade Commission) · Platforms

South Korea makes large foreign marketplaces name a local representative

Adopted · updated 21 July 2026 · reviewed 23 October 2026 · North Asia
Next date: 21 Jan 2027

Amendments to Korea's E-Commerce Act, passed by the National Assembly on 30 December 2025, require foreign e-commerce operators above sales or user thresholds to designate a Korea-based representative for consumer complaints, disputes and Fair Trade Commission investigations. Other provisions, including review disclosure and seller identity checks, applied from 21 July 2026; the representative requirement applies from 21 January 2027. The duty-free limit for personal overseas purchases stays at US$150 (US$200 for US goods), which the government said in 2024 it was reviewing.

For a parcel No change at customs; the marketplaces behind Korean cross-border parcels become directly answerable to the Korean regulator.

Key dates

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Every date of this rule, with what it means for a parcel and what to prepare. If a date moves, your calendar moves with it.

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Who it hits

Foreign marketplacesCross-border sellers

What to prepare

  • Confirm which platform customers will appoint Korean representatives and how complaints and returns will be routed
  • Expect regulator requests for shipment and delivery records to arrive through platform representatives
  • Keep the US$150 duty-free limit on the watch list

Our reading

Seoul is regulating the platform rather than the parcel. A cut in the US$150 limit has been discussed since 2024 without a decision, and we found no date for one.
Platforms go local

Sources

  1. E-Commerce Act amendment passes National Assembly plenary (press release) · Korea Fair Trade Commission (korea.kr) · 2025-12-30
  2. South Korea e-commerce rules force Temu and Shein to answer for Korean consumers · Tech Times · 2026-07-15
  3. Gov't considering lowering duty-free limit for overseas direct purchases to below US$150 · BusinessKorea · 2024-05-16

Information, not legal advice. Dates come from official texts or quality legal and trade press, and slip often: always check the current text before acting. Back to the full radar.

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