SEOUL — South Korea will provide US$400 million (S$537 million) in financial support to small businesses hit by payment delays at two Qoo10 e-commerce platforms, as the Singapore-based firm's founder pledged to use his own assets to help compensate customers and vendors.
Seoul-based TMON and WeMakePrice have failed to make payments to merchants using their platforms since early July, with Qoo10 saying the problem was triggered by a glitch in its payment system.
The payment delays have prompted South Korean financial authorities to launch an investigation, some vendors to cut ties, and long lines of customers at offices of both platforms last week demanding refunds. Vendors and customers are planning a protest later on July 29.
Missed payments by the e-commerce platforms have grown to around 210 billion won (S$204 million), the government estimates.
South Korean financial authorities said on July 29 that they will provide low-interest loans for affected small businesses as well as extensions on repayments of existing loans and on tax payments.
"The government will utilise all available resources to minimise the damage," Vice-Finance Minister Kim Beom-seok told reporters.
Ku Young-bae, the South Korean founder and chief executive of Qoo10, apologised on July 29 and said Qoo10 would secure emergency liquidity by drawing on overseas funds or by disposing of assets and stakes or using them as collateral.
"I will sell or use my entire stake in Qoo10, which is most of my assets, as collateral and use it to resolve this situation," he said in a statement.
Qoo10 said it estimated damages to customers at around 50 billion won, but it was difficult to give a figure for vendors.
The company has told the authorities it aims to secure US$50 million to remedy the situation but no detailed plan has been submitted, according to South Korea's Financial Services Commission.
Qoo10 also has operations in Japan, North America, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia, and owns two other South Korean e-commerce firms.
The company has not responded to Reuters requests for comment about the health of its other operations.
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