Lotte Holdings has received an official apology from Lotte Card, which was sanctioned by financial authorities. Lotte Holdings said on Aug. 4 it received an apology letter dated Aug. 3 in the name of Lotte Card's chief executive. It followed the Financial Services Commission's confirmation on July 31 of a 1.5-month partial suspension of some of Lotte Card's business operations.

In the letter, Lotte Card said, "We apologise for the inconvenience caused to Lotte Holdings and customers of each affiliate due to this measure." It added, "Even during the partial business suspension period, we will focus on our response so that customers using Lotte Group affiliates do not experience inconvenience."

Lotte Card has not been an affiliate of Lotte Group since its stake sale in 2019. Lotte Holdings transferred its stake in Lotte Card to MBK Partners after the holding company was launched in 2017, and MBK Partners has managed the company since then. The 'Lotte' name has been maintained, and it is not uncommon for general customers to mistake it for a Lotte affiliate.

A Lotte Holdings official said, "Even after the sale of the Lotte Card stake, it still uses the 'Lotte' brand, so many customers still mistake it for a Lotte affiliate." The official added, "We plan to cooperate with Lotte Card so that customers using affiliate stores can use services without inconvenience."

Lotte Holdings also protested when a cyber incident occurred at Lotte Card last year, citing damage to brand value and a decline in customer trust, and urged measures to minimise customer harm. At the time, Lotte Card also delivered an apology letter and promised to implement customer protection measures immediately.