By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) — The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) of South Korea has decided to impose a fine of 1 million won (US$753) on Pokemon Korea Inc. for not providing necessary information when selling its “New Year Lucky Box” of random toys.
“The random box is a sales strategy where customers are uncertain of what products they will receive, however, in this case, buyers were not given any details and were deprived of their opportunity to make an informed decision,” the FTC said.
The FTC noted Pokemon Korea did not notify consumers of 83 potential products, along with their country of origin.
The fine, however, was limited to just 1 million won as the company had not committed a similar violation over the past three years.
“The measure is not targeting the sale of random boxes but the failure to provide the minimum amount of information,” the regulator said.
This file photo taken Feb. 17, 2023, shows Pokemon products displayed at a department store in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
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