The government has expressed its determination to address structural problems at highway rest stops, including their multi-tier contract structure and high commission rates averaging 33%.
Hong Ji-sun, Second Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, visited the Yongin Rest Stop (Gangneung direction) on the Yeongdong Expressway on Tuesday to inspect facility operations and held a meeting with small business owners operating there. The meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and the Korea Expressway Corporation, along with six businesses operating at the rest stop.
At the meeting, Hong sharply criticized the problems in the rest stop operating structure. "Rest stops have become a target of public criticism due to structural ills such as the multi-tier contract structure, high commission rates (averaging 33%), long-term operational monopolies by some businesses, and the operation of rest stops by an organization of Korea Expressway Corporation retirees (Doseonghoe), along with the recent detection of numerous unfair practices against tenant businesses," he said.
He stressed, "Going forward, rest stop profits must be returned not as profits for some operating businesses but for the improvement of public convenience and mutual prosperity with the small business owners operating there." He added, "To this end, the restructuring of rest stop operations must be pursued with speed."
The government also presented specific improvement measures. "We will swiftly prepare measures to improve service quality by eliminating excessive intermediate fees and preventing unfair practices such as non-payment for delivered goods," Hong said. "The management stability and growth of tenant businesses will lead directly to improved rest stop service quality."
Officials from the tenant businesses expressed agreement with the government's stance. "We strongly agree with the government's position to investigate unfair practices at rest stops and improve the unreasonable operating structure," they said. "In addition to excessive commission rates, our management burden is increasing due to soaring prices and other factors, so please prepare reasonable measures so that we can provide services under stable conditions."
Hong asked officials from the Korea Expressway Corporation to "carefully manage matters so that tenant businesses at rest stops do not suffer unfair treatment from intermediate operators, and to closely cooperate with the government to reform the unreasonable operating structure and restore public trust."
