Korea advised to adopt EU regulatory model 알리의 급성장에 따른 영향을 막기위해 EU 규제모델채택필요

[김우정]

최근 알리 익스프레스로 수입된 일부 완구의 인체유해성분이 기준치의 수백배를 초과 했습니다.

알리 익스프레스와 테무의 취약한 고객보호와 부적절한 판매방법에 대한 규제가 필요합니다.

전문가들은 EU의 디지털서비스법(DSA: Digital Services Act같은 제도적 장치가 필요하다고 합니다.

1990년대 대형유통업체의 출현으로 전통시장과 골목상권 붕괴가 다시 발생되면 않되겠습니다.

Korea advised to adopt EU regulatory model to prevent impacts of AliExpress' rapid growth
한국, 알리 익스프레스의 급성장에 따른 영향을 막기 위해 EU 규제 모델을 채택할 필요


By Lee Min-hyung 이민형 기자
Posted : 2024-04-11 16:59 Updated : 2024-04-11 16:59
Korea Times

Timely, proper legislation needed to regulate Chinese e-commerce firms: experts
중국 전자상거래 기업을 규제하기 위해 적시에 적절한 법 제정 필요: 전문가

Editor’s note
This article is the last in a three-part series on the impacts of Chinese e-commerce platforms' foray into the Korean market and responses from local rivals. — ED
편집자주
이 글은 중국 전자상거래 플랫폼의 한국 시장 진출 효과와 현지 경쟁사의 대응에 대한 3부작 시리즈의 마지막 글이다. - ED.

Korea needs to introduce a "systemic and sophisticated" e-commerce-related regulatory framework, like the ones implemented by the European Union (EU), as the lack of a legal basis here delays the timely checks needed concerning emerging threats posed by AliExpress and Temu to Korean e-commerce companies, experts said.
한국은 유럽연합(EU)이 시행하는 것과 같은 "체계적이고 정교한" 전자상거래 관련 규제 체계를 도입할 필요가 있다고 전문가들은 말했다. 국내의 법적 근거가 없기 때문에 알리익스프레스와 테무가 한국 전자상거래 기업들에 제기하는 새로운 위협과 관련하여 필요한 시의적절한 점검이 지연되기 때문이다.

This suggestion came in reaction to unceasing controversies surrounding the rapid inroads made by the two Chinese companies due to their alleged weak customer protections and inappropriate sales methods.
이 제안은 취약한 고객 보호와 부적절한 판매 방법으로 인해 두 중국 회사의 빠른 진출을 둘러싼 논란이 끊이지 않는 것에 대한 반응으로 나왔다.

Korea's regulatory authorities have so far failed to slap any strict regulations against them, mostly due to the absence of necessary legal grounds.
한국의 규제 당국은 지금까지 어떤 엄격한 규제도 하지 않았는데, 이는 대부분 필요한 법적 근거가 없기 때문이다.

The situation has sparked growing calls for the government to follow in similar footsteps to those of the EU, whose regulatory framework is stronger and tighter than most other countries, particularly against foreign platform firms, according to professors from Korea's major law schools.
한국의 주요 로스쿨 교수들에 따르면 이러한 상황은 정부가 다른 대부분 국가들보다 특히 외국 플랫폼 기업들에 대해 더 강력하고 엄격한 규제 체계를 가지고 있는 EU와 비슷한 전철을 밟아야 한다는 요구를 증가시켰다.

"When it comes to regulations on every corner of the industry, the EU can be a good exemplary model for Korea to follow, as Europe focuses on building a strong legal framework with in-depth studies," Song Se-ryeon, a professor of law at Kyung Hee University, said. "This enables them to take a systemic approach when confronting any controversies and regulating certain companies."
송세련 경희대 법학과 교수는 "유럽은 심도 있는 연구로 강력한 법적 틀을 구축하는 데 중점을 두고 있기 때문에 산업 구석구석에 대한 규제에 있어 EU는 한국이 따라야 할 좋은 모범 모델이 될 수 있다,"며 "이를 통해 어떤 논란에도 맞서고 특정 기업을 규제할 때 제도적으로 접근할 수 있다."고 말했다

A cross-border e-commerce warehouse of AliExpress in Dongguan, China's Guangdong Province, is seen in this Nov. 10, 2023 photo. Xinhua-Yonhap 2023년 11월 10일자 이 사진에는 중국 광둥성 둥관에 있는 알리익스프레스의 국경간 전자상거래 창고가 보인다. 신화-연합

For instance, the EU launched an investigation to look into whether AliExpress violated the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) with the suspected sale of illegal content there last month. The Chinese firm may be subject to fines of up to 6 percent of its global turnover for the possible violation of the DSA.
예를 들어, EU는 알리익스프레스가 지난달 불법 콘텐츠 판매 혐의로 EU의 디지털 서비스법(DSA)을 위반했는지 여부를 조사하기 위해 조사에 착수했다. 알리익스프레스는 DSA를 위반할 가능성으로 인해 전 세계 매출의 최대 6%에 해당하는 벌금을 부과받을 수 있다.

AliExpress faced a similar kind of controversy in Korea for its sale of melatonin capsules on its platform, but Korea's regulatory authorities have displayed a much lighter regulatory touch than its European counterpart due largely to the weak legal basis regulating foreign firms. The sleep supplement is classified as a prescription-based medicine and is not allowed to be sold online here.
알리익스프레스는 자사 플랫폼에서 멜라토닌 캡슐을 판매해 국내에서도 비슷한 종류의 논란에 직면했지만, 한국의 규제 당국은 외국기업을 규제하는 법적근거가 취약한 부분이 크기 때문에 유럽 규제 당국보다 훨씬 가벼운 규제조치를 보여왔다. 수면보조제는 처방전이 필요한 의약품으로 분류돼 국내에서는 온라인으로 판매할 수 없다.

"The point is that Korea's regulatory framework remains ambiguous compared with those in Europe, the United States and other developed nations," the professor said. "For this reason, Korea cannot take any stern and timely regulatory actions against influential foreign platform firms."
이 교수는 "유럽, 미국 등 선진국에 비해 한국의 규제틀이 여전히 모호하다는 점,"이라며 "이 때문에 한국은 영향력 있는 외국 플랫폼기업에 대해 단호하고 시의적절한 규제 조치를 취할 수 없다."고 지적했다

Song added, "But we need to build a long-term plan to introduce a detailed regulatory basis at a time when domestic firms face and abide by strict local regulations, which is not the case for Chinese firms. This keeps raising woes on reverse discrimination on homegrown firms."
송 교수는 “그러나 국내 기업들이 현지의 엄격한 규제에 직면하고 이를 준수하는 상황에서 구체적인 규제 근거를 마련하기 위한 장기적인 계획을 세워야 한다.”며 이 때문에 국내 기업에 대한 역차별 문제가 계속 제기되고 있다고 말했다.

Fair Trade Commission Chairman Han Ki-jeong speaks during a meeting with economy-related ministers to share its plans to protect customers from foreign online platform firms, at the Government Complex in Seoul, March 13. Yonhap 한기정 공정거래위원장이 3월 13일 정부 서울청사에서 열린 경제관계장관회의에서 외국 온라인 플랫폼 기업으로부터 고객을 보호하기 위한 계획을 공유하기 위해 발언하고 있다. 연합

The EU is also stepping up regulatory pressure against big tech firms, such as Apple, Google and Amazon, under its Digital Markets Act (DMA).
EU는 또 디지털시장법(DMA)에 따라 애플, 구글, 아마존 등 빅테크 기업에 대한 규제 압박도 강화하고 있다.

The act is aimed at ensuring fair digital competition in the territory. Any firms violating the DMA can be subject to fines of up to 10 percent of their global revenue, meaning companies of such a size could pay tens of billions of dollars in fines as a result of violating the act.
이 법은 이 지역에서 공정한 디지털 경쟁을 보장하기 위한 것이다. DMA를 위반하는 모든 회사는 전 세계 매출의 10%까지 벌금을 부과받을 수 있는데, 이는 그러한 규모의 회사들이 이 법을 위반한 결과 수백억 달러의 벌금을 낼 수 있다는 것을 의미한다.

Compared to such an act and the regulatory framework of the EU, the levels of Korea's regulations against such influential foreign firms end up delivering nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
이러한 행위와 EU의 규제 체계에 비해 한국의 이러한 영향력 있는 외국 기업에 대한 규제 수준은 솜방망이에 불과하다.

In 2021, Korea's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) imposed fines of 224.9 billion won ($165.9 million) on Google for its unfair business practices, saying the search engine giant abused its market-dominant position against smartphone manufacturers here, such as Samsung Electronics.
2021년 한국 공정거래위원회(FTC)는 구글이 삼성전자 등 국내 스마트폰 제조사를 상대로 시장지배적 지위를 남용했다며 불공정 영업행위로 2,249억원 (1억6,590만달러)의 과징금을 부과했다.

The FTC recently launched a probe into Temu to monitor whether the firm has engaged in false and exaggerated advertisement activities here. Temu was mired in a series of controversies for distributing cash coupons to lure more customers, which the authority viewed as an unfair business act.
공정위는 최근 테무가 국내에서 허위/과장 광고를 했는지 조사에 착수했다. 테무는 고객유치를 위해 현금쿠폰을 나눠줬다는 논란에 휩싸였는데, 테무는 이를 불공정 영업행위로 봤다.

Experts say such a probe is not enough. They say the government should focus more on adopting an EU-like regulatory model by setting up a more concrete legal framework to regulate foreign firms rather than giving such an intermittent regulatory signal.
전문가들은 이러한 조사로는 충분치 않다고 말한다. 그들은 정부가 간헐적인 규제 신호를 주기 보다는 보다 구체적인 법적 틀을 만들어 외국 기업들을 규제함으로써 EU와 같은 규제 모델을 채택하는데 보다 초점을 맞추어야 한다고 말한다.

"One characteristic of the EU's regulation is its harsh extraterritorial application, so it can exude strong regulatory pressure against foreign firms," Choi Joon-seon, professor emeritus of law at the Sungkyunkwan University Law School, said. "But under Korea's legal system, we cannot slap any influential sanctions on Chinese e-commerce firms."
최준선 성균관대 법학전문대학원 명예교수는 "EU 규제의 특징 중 하나는 가혹한 역외적용으로 외국 기업에 대한 강력한 규제 압박을 가할 수 있다,"며 "하지만 한국의 법체계상 중국 전자상거래 기업에 대해 어떤 영향력 있는 제재도 가할 수 없다."고 말했다.

He advised the Korean government to start in-depth talks on establishing a sophisticated legal framework as soon as possible.
그는 한국 정부가 빠른 시일 내에 정교한 법적 틀을 구축하기 위한 심도 있는 논의를 시작해야 한다고 조언했다.

"Even if we may not be able to collect fines or execute penalties against such Chinese firms, the government can make an official complaint to China if we present relevant data that shows Chinese firms do not abide by Korea's legal framework," he said. "For now, in reality, it appears tough for Korea to slap a similar level of strict sanctions against foreign firms on par with that of the EU, but we still have to follow a similar footstep by drawing a long-term roadmap for protecting local firms and customers."
그는 "이런 중국 기업에 대해 벌금 징수나 처벌 집행을 못하더라도 중국 기업들이 한국의 법적 틀을 지키지 않는다는 것을 보여주는 관련 자료를 제시하면 정부가 중국에 공식 제소할 수 있다,"고 말했다. 이어 "현재 현실적으로 한국이 EU와 동등한 수준의 외국 기업에 대해 비슷한 수준의 엄격한 제재를 가하는 것은 어려워 보이지만, 국내 기업과 고객 보호를 위한 장기적 로드맵을 그려가면서 여전히 비슷한 수순을 밟아야 한다."고 덧붙였다.

#Regulatorymodel규제모델 #E-commerce전자상거래 #China중국 #Legalbasis법적 근거 #EuropeanUnion(EU)유럽연합 #DigitalServicesAct(DSA)디지털서비스법#Regulatorypressure규제압박 #Fines과징금 #Sanctions제재 #Long-termplan장기적계획