Certificates Gone
The Korean government will revise the accredited certificate system so that locals as well as foreigners can purchase products on the Web more easily. The Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service announced on March 26 that they will allow locals to shop online without digital certificates from June.
Recently, President Park Geun-hye said that Chinese consumers who tried to buy goods shown in Korea TV dramas failed to do so due to the digital certificates required by local online shopping malls. Since the remark, the government has moved to let foreigners shop online without the certificates.
This has led to the criticism that the measure is reverse discrimination against locals, and the government has decided at this time to apply the measure to both foreigners and locals. It is said that the government is also going to allow internationally used credit cards, such as VISA and MasterCard, as a way of purchase.
“The certificate is to be removed on home shopping sites and the like, but may remain in certain sectors if necessary,” said the financial authorities, adding, “Our focus is the convenient use of online shopping by everyone.”