Gyeonggi Province Successfully Mediates 138 of 157 Wedding Venue Consumer Disputes (87.9%)
[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Wedding venue A (located in Anyang) saw a surge in consumer complaints due to enhanced social distancing in the Seoul metropolitan area caused by COVID-19, resulting in 24 mediation applications filed within one week of the start of Gyeonggi Province's wedding venue dispute mediation intake. Gyeonggi Province established mediation standards that coordinate the positions of consumers and wedding venues, including conditions such as a 30% reduction in guaranteed guest capacity for wedding proceedings, schedule postponement with no down payment, and a 30% reduction in penalties for contract cancellation. As a result, 19 of the cases were settled, excluding 5 in which consumers withdrew their mediation applications.
Consumer B (resident of Ansan) had a wedding scheduled for September 12. Due to gathering restrictions at the wedding venue, B requested adjustment of 250 guaranteed guests but was notified that only 50 could be adjusted. B filed for wedding dispute mediation with Gyeonggi Province and on September 8 agreed to adjust the guaranteed guest count to 125 (50%) and receive thank-you gifts (wine) instead of meals, proceeding with the wedding as planned.
As social distancing Level 2 to 2.5 intensification led to a surge in damage consultations from engaged couples regarding wedding venues, Gyeonggi Province's wedding venue dispute mediation procedure resolved 138 consumer disputes.
According to Gyeonggi Province on the 11th, a total of 196 dispute mediation applications from residents were filed from August 24, when the province began accepting wedding venue dispute mediation applications, through October 5. Excluding 39 cases where consumers withdrew their applications, mediation was successfully established in 138 of 157 cases, representing approximately an 87.9% success rate.
On August 19, after receiving complaints through Governor Lee Jae-myung's social media about difficulties faced by engaged couples due to wedding venue disputes from intensified social distancing, Gyeonggi Province immediately resumed one-stop support system operations through the Gyeonggi Province Consumer Information Center starting August 24. The province had also operated such a system in March to resolve consumer disputes related to wedding venues.
The mediation results showed that adjustments to contracted guest capacity accounted for the most cases at 46, followed by 40 cases of schedule postponement, 37 cases of contract cancellation, and 15 cases of individual settlement.
Of the 19 cases where mediation failed, 12 involved business operators refusing mediation and 7 involved consumers refusing. For three cases involving unreasonable penalty demands from operators or improper wedding proceedings, applications for adjustment have been submitted to the Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee. These three cases are scheduled to be addressed at Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee Gyeonggi Division meetings within one month.
Regarding why the province's consumer dispute mediation achieved such a high success rate, Gyeonggi Province attributed it to systematic preparation and proactive response. The province analyzed that the three-step response—primary damage handling through the dedicated support organization Gyeonggi Province Consumer Information Center, secondary mediation through designated personnel by business type, and tertiary adjustment applications through the Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee—has proven effective.
Any Gyeonggi Province residents who have contracts with wedding venues while Level 2 social distancing is in effect can apply for wedding venue dispute mediation through the Gyeonggi Province Consumer Information Center (031-251-9898).
Governor Lee Jae-myung of Gyeonggi Province stated, “Listening carefully to residents' messages and responding promptly to ultimately resolve problems is a consistent goal of Gyeonggi Province administration,” adding, “I will continue to focus on the role of public servants that changes residents' actual lives. We will fulfill our role thoroughly not only in wedding venue issues but also in protecting consumer rights.”