AliExpress consumer remedy requests surge 21-fold in South Korea

Consumer remedy applications related to AliExpress have surged in South Korea, increasing more than 21-fold over a two-year period. According to data from the Korea Consumer Agency provided to lawmaker Park Seong-hoon, there were 967 applications filed between 2023 and August 2025.

Annual applications rose from 30 in 2023 to 170 in 2024, and jumped to 649 in 2025. The most frequent cause for disputes was withdrawal of subscription (returns and refunds), accounting for 45.5% of cases, followed by non-performance or incomplete performance of contracts at 21.3%, and quality issues at 12.6%.

Specific reported issues include denied refund requests for defective products purchased under free return conditions, refusal of refunds due to shipping delays, and disputes over return shipping costs. Additionally, the 1372 Consumer Counseling Center recorded 7,544 consultations during the same period.

Lawmaker Park Seong-hoon emphasized that as overseas platforms expand their presence in the Korean market, regulatory oversight must be strengthened to ensure they uphold consumer protection responsibilities equivalent to domestic companies.