Seoul, Aug. 12, 2025 — South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has fined two leading online accommodation booking platforms — Nol Universe (formerly Yanolja) and Yeogi Eottae Company — a combined ₩1.54 billion (about US$1.13 million) for abusing their dominant market position to the detriment of small and medium-sized lodging businesses.
According to the FTC, both companies bundled discount coupons into premium advertising packages sold to small accommodation providers, such as motels, then unilaterally voided any unused coupons without offering refunds or extensions. These coupon costs had been included in the fees paid by the businesses, meaning the losses fell entirely on the lodgings.
Nol Universe, the market leader, linked coupons to its “Nearby Coupon Ads,” charging monthly fees of ₩1 million to ₩3 million, with 10–25% of that amount allocated to discount coupons for consumers. Unused coupons expired at the end of the monthly contract, with a one-time rollover allowed for renewing advertisers.
Yeogi Eottae offered coupons with its premium ad slots, such as the “Top Recommendation” package, but set coupon validity to just one day — effectively ensuring many would go unused. The FTC said this practice ran from June 2017 until the present.
The regulator found both firms held “superior bargaining positions” over small lodging operators due to their dominant market share and the operators’ reliance on them for bookings. By voiding unused coupons without compensation, the companies imposed unfair financial losses on their partners, violating South Korea’s Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act.
The FTC ordered both companies to cease the practice and notify all affected businesses. Nol Universe was fined ₩540 million (about US$397,000) and Yeogi Eottae ₩1 billion (about US$735,000), the latter being the maximum statutory fine for such conduct.
The decision follows earlier moves by the platforms to withdraw these coupon-linked advertising products — Nol Universe ending sales in May 2024 during the FTC investigation, and Yeogi Eottae recently announcing it will stop offering them.
The FTC said the ruling was significant as it addressed unfair conduct involving discount coupons — a key marketing tool for accommodation providers — and pledged continued scrutiny of online platforms to ensure fair trading conditions.
