As the proposal to fix the large supermarket's mandatory closed days to public holidays was discussed in the National Assembly, backlash spread between the distribution industry and consumers. The Democratic Party of Korea noted, "It is not a party line," but labor unions of large supermarkets and small business groups demand legislation.
The point of controversy began with the bill to amend the Distribution Industry Development Act, proposed last year by newly elected proportional representative Oh Se-hee of the Democratic Party of Korea. The amendment includes mandatory designation of mandatory closed days for large supermarkets and semi-large stores as "legal holidays." This aims to standardize the holidays that local governments currently set autonomously across the country.
However, when the bill was submitted to the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee, cautious opinions were raised even within the Democratic Party of Korea. Kim Won-yi, the ruling party's secretary of the committee, drew the line the day before at the '2025 Consumer and Retail Forum' event, stating, "It is just an individual member's proposal, not a party line."
Democratic Party of Korea member Jang Cheol-min stated through his social media (SNS), "Supermarkets are not just spaces for making profits; they are essential living infrastructure responsible for citizens' daily lives," and added, "For dual-income families, single-person households, and workers, public holidays are essential consumption time." He continued, "If closing is in line with the public interest, inconvenience can be justified, but currently, its effectiveness is unclear," calling for a policy review. According to the Korea Energy Economics Institute, the sales inflow effect from traditional markets on large supermarket closed days was only around 1 percent.
Democratic Party of Korea member Jeong Yong-gi also emphasized, "In a situation where offline distribution is facing a structural crisis, the binary confrontation between large supermarkets and traditional markets is an outdated solution," and stated, "Policies should not remain political gestures at the expense of citizens' lives."
In fact, some local governments, including Seocho-gu and Jung-gu in Seoul, Daegu, and Cheongju, changed supermarket closed days to weekdays, resulting in high consumer satisfaction. According to a survey by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 81% responded that they were satisfied with having weekdays off.
Particularly among dual-income couples, dissatisfaction is growing, with comments such as, "Public holidays are the only time when shopping, hospital visits, and childcare outings can be done, and trying to limit that is unreasonable." Criticism was also voiced in online communities, stating, "They inconvenience the public to gain traders’ votes," and "How can we go with kids when parking is difficult at traditional markets?"
In some political circles, it has been analyzed that while the Democratic Party of Korea previously advocated for expanded distribution regulations in the name of protecting small businesses during its time in the opposition, it is shifting toward a more realistic adjustment stance after coming to power.
On the other hand, the Labor Union of the Supermarket Industry and the Small Business Federation support the passage of the bill. The supermarket labor union emphasized, "Holiday closures are the minimum safeguard for regulating distribution conglomerates and securing workers' health rights," while the Small Business Federation assessed it as "a safety net for the survival of traditional markets."
The current Distribution Industry Development Act stipulates that closed days can also be designated as weekdays through an agreement among distribution companies, market traders, and consumers. Accordingly, local governments have flexibly managed their operations based on regional circumstances, but if the bill passes, mandatory holiday closures will be enforced nationwide.
Experts point out that the distribution ecosystem itself is undergoing rapid changes. Since the pandemic, online shopping and early morning deliveries have become commonplace, meaning that large supermarkets are no longer the central axis of offline distribution, as they once were. Seong Yong-gu, a professor at Sookmyung Women's University, remarked, "In a situation where hegemony has shifted to e-commerce, the regulation is no longer effective" and expressed, "I hope a decision will be made after sufficient discussion."
Currently, the bill is pending in the National Assembly's bill subcommittee. Considering that the chair of the committee belongs to the People Power Party, analysis suggests that the chances of the bill passing soon are slim. The pledge book of President Lee Jae-myung does not explicitly state related contents. However, it remains possible that the legislative environment may change rapidly due to political disputes or shifts in public opinion.