South Korea's Broadcasting and Media Communications Commission said on Sunday it would impose a corrective order and a fine of 2.424 billion won on online travel platform Agoda for violating the Telecommunications Business Act.

The commission on the day held its 22nd full meeting of 2026 and approved the sanctions.

The commission said it began a fact-finding investigation in September 2024 after concluding Agoda did not clearly disclose key information during the booking process, including refund conditions, cancellation and change fees, and additional fees for pay-later options, raising the possibility of user harm.

The investigation found that when booking flights, Agoda did not clearly disclose on the basic booking screen whether tickets were refundable and what cancellation and change fees applied. Instead, it provided information only via a link labeled with the low-relevance phrase "baggage allowance and policy," making it difficult for users to understand refund conditions and whether they would bear fees.

In the accommodation booking process, when users selected "pay later," Agoda displayed a "current rate" on the prepayment screen that excluded additional fees, even though up to 5 percent in extra charges could be applied. It also displayed the amount to be charged on the payment date in a currency other than won or used the unclear phrase "including 5 percent adjustment."

The commission said it determined the conduct fell under prohibited acts under the Telecommunications Business Act. It also issued a corrective order requiring Agoda to improve its procedures so users can easily confirm refund conditions, whether fees will be charged, and the final payment amount during the booking process.

Kim Jong-cheol (김종철), chairman of the Broadcasting and Media Communications Commission, said, "As travel bookings increase at this time of year, operators must clearly and easily disclose matters that affect users' contract decisions and cost burdens." He added, "We will continue to respond under a zero-tolerance principle and conduct ongoing inspections against acts that hinder users' reasonable choices or infringe their interests."