사업자의 소비자보호 자율규제 발전방향

This paper considers ways to improve industry's self-regulation for consumer protection. Accordingly, the theoretical discussion on self-regulation for consumer protection is carried out and both domestic and foreign of business providers' efforts is discussed. Lastly, this paper suggest ways to improve consumer protection based on industry's self-regulation. It is inevitable for business providers to regulate itself voluntarily under current regulatory policies and any environmental changes. As reviewed self-regulatory efforts by business providers both at home and abroad, we have seen that many countries own various forms of self-regulations, depending on its legal, institutional, and market conditions. Further, we also found that cooperative regulation or co-regulation with the government has been more effective and universal than pure-self regulation of business providers. In spite of some self-regulatory rules with limited purposes in sectors of fair competition, advertisement, e-commerce, direct marketing, and in the field of consumer complaints management, Korea still lacks a type of industry self-regulations dealing with overall consumer protection areas so it needs self-disciplined rules by the industry side. This paper suggests future directions for industry self-regulations in terms of legal, degree of autonomy, operating body side, content, and operational aspects. Henceforth, wide spread and full execution of industry self-regulation for the consumer protection will lead to better customer satisfaction.