Gov't to inspect price labeling, safety ahead of chuseok; repeat violators face fines

Government ministries and related agencies will conduct joint on-site inspections to stabilize prices and ensure safety ahead of the chuseok holiday.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Thursday it will work with local governments and related agencies to inspect price-labeling compliance at hypermarkets, corporate supermarkets, neighborhood supermarkets, convenience stores and small local shops from Thursday through Sept. 23. The inspection team comprises officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Consumer Agency.

Inspectors will focus on items commonly used in chuseok ancestral rites and goods at high risk of price increases, checking for violations related to the display of selling prices, unit prices and the prohibition on showing recommended retail prices.

The team will prioritize guidance and public outreach given the difficult operating conditions facing small business owners and self-employed workers, but will impose fines on stores found to be repeat violators.

The ministry will also conduct intensive safety inspections at 1,148 large-scale retail outlets nationwide from Monday through Sept. 18, in cooperation with local governments, the National Fire Agency, the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation and the Korea Gas Safety Corporation.

Large-scale retail outlets are defined as stores with a combined floor area of 3,000 square meters or more, and include hypermarkets, specialty stores, department stores, shopping centers and mixed-use shopping complexes.

"The chuseok holiday is a period when consumer activity and travel are heavily concentrated, making it important to proactively manage prices and safety," said Lee Gyu-bong, director of mid-sized enterprise policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. "We will thoroughly inspect compliance with price-labeling rules to support price stability and strengthen on-site inspections so that safety risks at large-scale retail outlets can be addressed in advance."